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For any fan embracing this World Cup as their very first foray into the biggest tournament that the sport has to offer, there are certain items that always occur directly afterward that you should become used to. Sadly, in a sport where we have become enamored with the unpredictability, when the players step outside the confines of the 90 minutes, the sport definitely loses a large chunk of the magic. Now, only a small span of time outside of the 2014 World Cup, the footballing world has slipped back into the predictable…
One of the biggest situations we always see after a World Cup comes in the form of massive overspending and major impulse transfers. While some transfers only helped their case with the World Cup, some players use the tournament to elevate their game to a different level. Where players like Suarez, Kroos, and others are being bought because their level in the top echelon of players has rarely been doubted, the impending purchase of Colombia’s James Rodriguez is based solely out of one hot run of form.
Before you assume that Rodriguez has done nothing in the world of soccer, know that he has been highly regarded and that he already plays for Monaco in France (2nd place). However, the current price tag that has been attached to Rodriguez flirts with numbers that have (up to this point) been reserved for players like CR7, Suarez, and Bale. If you look at his body of work, even with an impressive World Cup, Rodriguez is worth (at maximum) $45 million. A number that, coincidentally, is exactly what his current club paid for him (and, if you research Monaco’s recent spending habits, they overspent at the time).
The humor in this might be derived from the fact that Spain (the rumored destination of Rodriguez) spent the most post-WC money of any of the other major leagues in 2010. Madrid and Barcelona spent massive amounts of dough en route to snagging players that had intrigued them during 2010 in South Africa. Much like this summer, Barcelona bought a star that was proven, but a star that used the World Cup to add to their impressive accolades: 2010-Villa/2014-Suarez. Luckily for Rodriguez suitors Real Madird, their purchases from that summer have all turned out to be very profitable (Ozil) or talented (Di Maria/Khedira). However, buying Rodriguez for a sum of money that would require he perform at Bale/CR7 levels would be a massive mistake.
Considering the idea that Toni Kroos will (most likely) become one of the best players wearing Madrid’s kit this upcoming season, it is amazing to think that Madrid would pay more than double what they paid for the German in order to obtain Rodriguez. Hopefully, despite not being emotionally tied to Los Blancos, they take a moment to actually consider what they are spending their money on. As in 2010, now in 2014, and inevitably in 2018, this will certainly be seen as the World Cup-induced impulse buy. The only question remaining is whether it turns out to be a good one…
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