Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

i Deputy Editor's Letter: The transfer window has now closed

 

Rhodri Jones
Monday 02 September 2013 22:40 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Yesterday was a day of intense debate, speculation, high-level negotiations and the exchanging of vast amounts of money to secure lucrative contracts. No, it wasn’t the return of Parliament after the summer recess, but the final day of football’s transfer window.

Passionate fans can now release the refresh button attached to their teams’ websites and return to gloating, or moaning, about the world-class players they signed, or failed to buy. As with all aspects of life, deadlines were pushed to the limit, with clubs and agents scrambling to get deals done before a five-month break until we go through it all again. (No matter what our walk of life, why are we always so determined to complete things in good time, but more often than not end up leaving things to the very last minute?)

By far the most talked-about signing this year is the transfer of the Welsh international Gareth Bale to Real Madrid, for the unprecedented sum of £85m. The amount involved will raise a few eyebrows – especially when you learn that he is earning the tidy sum of more than £250,000 a week. And, whether you follow a club religiously or ignore the back pages of a newspaper entirely, the eye-watering amount of money involved is difficult to justify.

But judging by the 20,000 crowd that turned up to Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium to welcome the club’s new world record signing, I’m clearly in the minority in thinking that no one could be worth that much money.

I know replica shirts cost a bob or two, but that’s an awful lot of polyester that has to be shifted over the counter!

i@independent.co.uk

Twitter.com: @jonesrhodri

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in