The Guardian - Remember the outrage at the threat from the European Super League? Is the current circus any better?
It was like the football version of the race between Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos to be the first dick in space. The race, that is, to pull off the most stratospheric transfer deal. On Thursday, Chelsea announced the signing of Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku for an eye-popping £97.5m. Lukaku used to play for Chelsea but seven years ago they sold him. Now, they have bought him back at more than three times the cost. The club has a history of letting go some of the best players in the world, from Kevin de Bruyne to Mohamed Salah. You can afford such carelessness if your club is owned by a Russian oligarch, Roman Abramovich.
As the Premier League returned this weekend, one might have expected the Lukaku move to have been the transfer story of the summer. In any other year, it might have been. This year, though, it has already been trumped – not once, but twice, and maybe again for a third time. First, Manchester City paid £100m, a new British record, for Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish. They might smash their record again before the end of the month if they manage to wrest Harry Kane away from Tottenham, who are demanding a staggering £160m for the England captain. Continue reading...