It’s Just Business: 7 February 2025

Interrupted Reflections:

Ezek XI: Juni…are you listening? You seem distracted…? Is it all this talk about Vini?

Juninho: …

Ezek XI: Juni!

Juninho: (mutters) When fortune drops something valuable into your lap, you don’t just dump it on the bank of the cut…

Welcome to The Daily Merengue — a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name!

Shoutout to the Mods who do a fantastic job, Valyrian Steel, KungFuZizou, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, and Juninho (the “shadows”).

Author’s Note: Today’s DT is a continuation of yesterday’s brief discussion in the comments.

Business is Business: 300M Euros

Dear MM,

Maybe my mindset is a result of time? Maybe I’ve just seen too many fan favorites come and go? Maybe it’s just a culture clash or the way I was raised? Nevertheless, in my opinion, no player is worth 300M. I’m not sure if any playrt has ever been worth 300M but certainly no current Real Madrid player (yes even Vini, Jude, or Mbappe) is worth 300M euros.

I think the nature of the current transfer market has somewhat desensitized us from how much 300M really is, so let’s quickly just look at some numbers: 1) According to Transfermarkt, there are only 5 La Liga teams with a squad market value that exceeds 300M (i.e., Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Sociedad, and Athletic Bilbao; therefore, instead of losing to Espanyol we could theoretically buy Espanyol + Valencia (and turn Mestalla and club into a parking lot); 2) 300M would be a 35% increase of the current transfer fee record (Neymar), and would be a 191% increase of Real Madrid’s most expensive transfer purchase (Jude); and 3) According to Transfermarkt, 300M could buy the 3 most valuable CBs (a position we need) with 70M to spare (i.e., Saliba, Gabriel, and Bastoni).

Now before I continue, let’s throw out a few quick disclaimers:

– Transfermarkt isn’t a perfect analytical tool for squad values but it is the best we got. If you have a better means for ascertaining this information, I’d be delighted to know where and how you found it.

– Before you tell me that after receiving 300M, Real Madrid acquisition prices will jettison through the roof please just quickly look at potential club values, revenues, FFP objectives, and then potential leverage that said transfer target’s club would wield over Real Madrid. Barcelona’s sale of Neymar isn’t the greatest example IMO due to the immediacy / surprise of the purchase, the proximity of the transfer to the window closing (Aug 3), and the lack of potential “Neymars” at home. Also let’s be serious that Barcelona board was actually incompetent when it came to negotiations (*cough* poverty club *cough*).

– Negotiations are primarily based off leverage or best alternative price.

– Oh almost forgot one – Real Madrid don’t need the money. Sure, Real Madrid doesn’t NEED 300M in cash but that doesn’t inherently mean that the club wouldn’t WANT or APPROVE the receipt of 300M or see this increased transfer fee as beneficial. Really quickly — I don’t need you to buy me dinner tomorrow but I’m not going to say “no” if you offer.

– I guess let me just throw this in too before I click submit. I’m not advocating for Real Madrid to throw out any of our sub-25 year old players. I know that coaching is the primary issue with this team. I also acknowledge that sometimes (just like Arne Slot) a new mind can make a team look dramatically different. This hypothetical is more about considering a price rather than a demand to do so.

Ok now very quickly back to business because I only wanted to briefly address this concept, and I don’t want everyone to get bogged down with details because I’m going to see at some point a soliloquy about Vini hate and why we must now wait for him to prove doubters wrong. And then probably Saudi this / Saudi that.

So I’m just going to use other really quick personal examples:

If Real can turn 300M into Saliba / Bastoni, Theo Hernandez (or insert your favorite non-Davies LB), and let’s say a half decent forward, I’d sell Rodrygo in a heart beat. I’d probably do it for less tbh. I’d do the same deal for Jude, Mbappe, Fede (I mean I’ve already sold him), Camavinga, and even Ceballos!!! Why? Because particularly in forward / midfield positions we have an insane amount of young depth. We also have a somewhat insane amount of duplicative player profiles. We can replace Kylian Mbappe (imo the Best Player in the World) because we already have Vini / Rodrygo / Jude and just need to then buy a real ST of at least current form Isak’s ilk. We can actually replace Jude with a real 10 like Wirtz if that’s what we choose to do or play a system where Ceballos / Luka are able to use their god-given passing creativity while Tchou / Fede / Cama clean up the backwards mess. In all honesty, our least replaceable player right now is probably Antonio Rudiger who can be replaced simply because CBs is a cheaper market.

I think we (cause I do it too) at MM are often too focused on the individual and not the collective. We at times ignore that saying I’d hypothetically sell Fede for 150M isn’t necessarily a detriment to Fede’s abilities but one’s confidence in everyone else to fill said gaps. There’s a reason why no one has even considered selling Rudiger because we all collectively have zero confidence in the rest of our CBs. I mean what confidence have they inspired?

But anyway this is far too long so let’s finish with a fun quote from Pablo Escobar…yes…Pablo Escobar “Everyone has a price, the important thing is to find out what it is.”

This is just business. No emotions in this game. Just cold-numbing cash.

– Juninho

Some Tweets On Players I Just Sold:

inshallah they take Ferland Mendy…

And Now A Two Players I Bought

And The Don Marcelo

Interrupted Reflections Pt. II

Ezek XI: …who are you talking too?

Juninho: Sorry…it’s just myself talking to myself about myself…

Ezek XI: So can we continue?

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“i guess”