Transfer Window Nonsense: Madrid and Barca

Is it me or are we in the midst of a transfer window that is more ridiculous than any of us thought going in and certainly as ridiculous as any in recent memory? I know that Real Madrid have contributed to some rather outrageous expenditures for players over the last few years but there was at least a semblance of logic to their nonsense; the club were in dire need of top-shelf talent so they overspent. That they rebuilt their bench last year, bringing in some excellent veteran leadership, spoke more for what they lacked than anything else. Real Madrid are now loaded for bear. Too bad the Barcelona hunting party is still leagues head of them and they will continue to stare down the parade of potential signings and look to each one of them as the one that might bring them over the edge and bridge the talent gap that exists between the eternal rivals.

It's an insidious quest: Benzema, Kaka, and Higuain have all been linked with exits from the Santiago Bernabeu. Alexis Sanchez, Kun Aguero, and Cesc Fabregas have come under Real Madrid's scrutiny. Barcelona have sniffed around the same alleyways. In the end it becomes more about keeping that one player away from a rival than asserting your own dominance. That's wrong. It is always about making yourself more difficult to beat. So ignore what they are telling you.

Real Madrid CF: Kun Aguero duplicates much of what Higuain and Benzema already do. Granted, El Kun is already acclimated to La Liga, but I think that the club should try to replace what a guy like Emmanuel Adebayor brings to the fold. If Ade is on the way out, I buy Didier Drogba or a kid like Lukaku, someone who holds the ball up like Mourinho likes. As for Alexis Sanchez? I like the Chilean, a whole lot, but the club already have Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria on the wings. Are you going to stunt their game to involve Sanchez just because you think that Barcelona would capitalise too greatly on his worth? It´s ridiculous. As for Cesc? Maybe if they release Mesut Ozil which would never happen. I think in the end they buy that forward they're looking for and they bring Fabio Coentrao in from Benfica and that´s about it.

FC Barcelona: Alexis Sanchez has come to a personal terms with Barcelona but does anyone actually believe he winds up in blaugrana? They can't afford his wages and Udinese want straight cash to get him out of Italy. They won't take a player and less cash in return. Why should they? Their youth-team structure rivals Barcelona's. Even if he does reach the Camp Nou though, it begs the question: which wing does he play on? Does he spell the best player in the world, Lionel Messi or does he help out with David Villa who is Spain´s all-time scorer? Would Sanchez limit himself to subbing for an established forward for Barcelona's devastating attack? Would Giuseppe Rossi? What about Cesc Fabregas? He seems destined to be a bit player as well with Xavi and Iniesta still ahead of him in the pecking order. It is an interesting question, and I know that the players and their agents want to facilitate the transfers for many reasons both on and off the field, but I´d say it´s a mistake for the club to invest its resources on expensive transfers just to keep up with Real Madrid.

When the dust settles Real Madrid will probably forgo more Galactico hires and build a squad that reflects the tirelessness and intelligence of the man who guides their squad. Barcelona on the other hand, it seems at least, are looking for ways to meet Pep Guardiola´s expectations without over-spending. Sandro Rosell doesn't seem to be the sort who gambles with 100 million euros of investment especially when the club need only minor tweaks to an already talented squad. They'll make one marquee signing to keep up appearances which in this case is quite obviously Cesc.

All of this other nonsense, this transfer frenzy that pits all of the top clubs against each other, is an invention; the by-product of agents and newspaper-men. They have mutual interests even if their reasons are very different. More clubs bidding on a client means higher agent fees, but to help the sale along they need complicity from the journalists who quite frankly have column inches to fill during a slow off-season. It's a farce. An enjoyable one like professional wrestling but no less fake. Mostly.