Alexis Sanchez’s move to Manchester United will change the entire way players move between clubs
This move will come to be seen as a ground-breaker - one that will become the norm
ALEXIS SANCHEZ has shaken up plenty of defences over the years — now he’s done the same to the entire transfer system as we know it.
Forget the whys and wherefores of his move to Old Trafford ahead of the Etihad. Ignore the rights and wrongs of whether or not he had given his word to Manchester City.
In years to come we will look back on his transfer to Manchester United as a ground-breaker — one I feel will become the norm.
Namely that more and more world-class stars will run down their contracts and move for nothing or, at best, a fraction of their real worth in the closing months of their deals.
We all know players hold all the power these days and it makes total financial sense to them — and the buying club.
Of course you will still get the odd astronomical transfer but they will be very much the exception.
Just look at the logic involved. A player worth, say, £80million with 18 months left can move for nothing at the end of that time.
He can then pocket a signing-on fee upwards of £25m, on top of sky-high wages — money that would have gone to the selling club in a fee otherwise.
And if, as in Sanchez’s case, you DO move in the closing months before your contract is up, then the salary reflects that.
The buyers pay for the privilege, knowing they’re still getting you cheaper than if there was a long time left on your terms.
If you’re someone like Paul Pogba, earning upwards of £200,000 a week, it actually works in your favour in the long term NOT to sign another one.
It’s not as if they’re struggling to make ends meet. These players are multi-millionaires already.
It just makes more sense to sit tight and pick up even more when your contract is up or, at the very least, in its closing stages.
All it takes is a signed commitment to buy from one side and a similar agreement to join as a free agent from the player on the other.
That’s something which can easily be arranged.
The only gamble for the player is avoiding serious injury between times.
But they earn such huge money, they are already so well off, that it’s a risk worth taking.
Arsenal have become something of the unwilling flag-bearers of how it’s going to go, with Mesut Ozil well down that road already.
But in the end it’s something which will see all buying clubs benefit. They will save a fortune on transfers, while players and agents will coin it.
The sellers will miss out but they’ll offset that with a similar deal for someone else.
I know Paris Saint-Germain paid silly money to sign Neymar but there aren’t many PSGs out there.
Deals like that will be seen less and less over the years, while Sanchez-type transfers will increase.
Mark my words, there will be a complete shake-up of the transfer system as we know it.
Alexis is merely the tip of the iceberg. This is the dawn of a whole new age.
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THE London Football Awards is always a night to remember and this year’s will be extra special for me.
I’m being given the Outstanding Contribution to London Football award on March 1 — an achievement of which I’m incredibly proud.
Some of the game’s legends have picked up awards over the years, the likes of Jimmy Greaves, Trevor Brooking and Frank Lampard.
So for me to get this recognition is fantastic. I didn’t win too much as an individual so it’s very humbling.
Bob Wilson and his Willow Foundation, who organise the event, do unbelievable work with seriously ill young adults. I’ve seen some of the special days they’ve given people and they really are very emotional.
Here are my picks for this year...
LONDON PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 1 Harry Kane, 2 Eden Hazard, 3 Marcos Alonso. YOUNG PLAYER: Andreas Christensen. MANAGER: Antonio Conte. Check details out at Londonfootballawards.org