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NEGOTIATIONS FOR PAVLYUCHENKO CONTINUE
As the transfer window closed across Europe on
Monday evening, the biggest story was not of exciting last minute transactions
but instead how few deals transpired and of those, they were mostly loans.
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Roman Pavlyuchenko Photo REUTERS
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Of the many rumours involving higher-profile players that
filtered through the media in the prior months, rarely did they come to
volition and it is quite obvious the enormous impact that the world's
financial retraction has had on football.
It is not presumptuous to announce the era of inflated transfer prices
looks to be over or at least dealing with some very serious changes. Though
there will be a few clubs that are to pull from vast financial resources,
the overriding theme is move to more fiscal restraint and traditional
management that instead of simply "bidding higher", takes a
more stringent line towards negotiation and the profit and loss statement.
This might run counter to fair-eyed supporters who forget the financial
bottom-line needs of a club but at every turn, it is better for the sport
and will have a positive impact on the regional aspect of development.
Many in the sport are re-thinking their position in developing talent
and maintaining positive cash flows from net transfers as opposed to basing
their decisions with the assumption of improved revenue streams in the
future. Whilst there are a number of clubs across the sport struggling
near life support and facing sell-offs should new financing not be put
in place, others such as Portuguese giant, FC Porto, who raised net ?50
million-plus in last summers transfer market with opportunistic sales
of players at their peak value, will be emulated. Naturally, this is not
such an easy strategy to implement but rest assured, with the financial
world unsettled, football management will need to adjust their tactical
plans and as evidenced in the recent transfer season, this is already
occurring.
This puts a further twist on the immediate transfer market because quite
obviously, there are many players who are on clubs financial books far
higher than what the market will sustain. For those clubs they have the
dubious decision of taking the immediate financial hit and cutting their
investment loss with balancing the short and long term needs on the pitch.
This situation clearly relates to Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko
who has been linked to a return to Russia with Zenit Saint Petersburg,
Lokomotiv or Spartak. Tottenham, who paid approximately ?14 million in
September 2008 to bring the striker in from Spartak Moscow, is unwilling
to make significant concessions on this amount. Despite many claims that
a deal to send the striker to Birmingham City, ultimately Tottenham's
demands were beyond the market and the transfer window closed without
him moving.
Though Roman Pavlyuchenko can return to Russia prior to the domestic transfer
deadline of 15 March, the ultimate decision will come to how strong clubs
will bid on him, whether they are looking at the many other bargain prices
throughout the football world and equally if Tottenham would accept an
offer since Robbie Keane has been loaned to Celtic. The answer to this
will not come via rumours or unfounded speculation but at the negotiation
table.
Prepared by John Davies
Sport
Express Daily, 03 February 2010
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