Hughes: transfer fees out of control
The Rovers boss believes clubs are paying much more than the true value of many players because of the extra cash available.
The Premier League’s new broadcasting deals, worth a total of £2.2 billion (€3.2 billion) over three years, come on stream this season and should see clubs’ TV income rise by around 66%.
Already this summer, top-flight clubs have spent £284 million (€421 million) on new players. It is the highest figure ever, more than double the amount spent last year and nearly three times the amount in 2005.
Hughes said: “There’s a lot of players moving around at the moment and the value that has been put on those players is totally out of sync to what they are actually worth.
“I think it’s just people looking around to see what’s available, and who they can get into their club, and they are having to pay top dollar, and over and above top dollar on occasions,” he said.
Hughes, who has spent just £350,000 on two signings this summer, reckons many players going for between £5m and £8m would struggle to make it into his current squad.
He added: “Once you get to double figures for players then it’s a huge amount of money. But there’s a lot of players also going for £5m, £6m and £8m, and I look at some players that have moved, and I look at my squad and think they wouldn’t improve it.
“So I’m quite comfortable with the situation that we are in. I’m just grateful for the squad I’ve got.
“It’s taken three years to get to this side together and I’m grateful we are in a situation where we don’t have to go out in the market and buy players for the sake of it, paying over the odds.”
The biggest single signing this summer has been Liverpool’s swoop for Fernando Torres — a deal in excess of £20m — while Manchester United have spent £52m on four players and that spending will rise still further once the Carlos Tevez deal is completed.
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