THE PREMIER LEAGUE has lost its pulling power when it comes to wooing the world’s best footballers, according to Jamie Redknapp.
In a summer of inflated transfer fees, Manchester City and Chelsea missed out on their main targets as €60 million-plus strikers Edinson Cavani and Radamel Falcao chose Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco respectively.
It was the same story for Manchester United who were helpless as Pep Guardiola and Bayern Munich swooped in ahead of them to snap up Thiago Alcantara for €25 million from Barcelona.
And with Real Madrid’s pursuit of Gareth Bale nearing its endgame, the league could also lose one of its top home-grown talents to the continent before the transfer window shuts next month.
“It’s a worry,” Redknapp admitted at Sky Sports’ Premier League launch on Friday. “Remember at the end of last season you were looking at where players are gonna go: Falcao surely will go to Chelsea, Cavani surely will go to Man City.
It was amazing. For the first time, the Premier League’s not attracted the big players.
A few years ago if Manchester United came in for any player, they would go to United. They wouldn’t even think about it. But the fact that Thiago decided to go to Bayern Munich, that in itself was quite damning and it just shows you we’re not the only players in town anymore.
With a new manager in Manuel Pellegrini, Man City have been the most active English club in the transfer market, signing Fernandinho, Stevan Jovetic, Alvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas for a combined €110 million.
But the only other incoming transfers to break the €20 million mark were Roberto Soldado’s move to Tottenham Hotspur (€30m) and Chelsea’s signing of Andre Schurrle (€22m).
At the same time all four of last year’s Champions League semi-finalists — Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona and Real Madrid — have added to their already-strong squads.
Despite the Premier League’s toothless showing in Europe last season, Redknapp doesn’t expect the continental dominance to continue.
“I think things like that go in cycles. I would expect the English teams to make a better fist of it this year in the Champions League because that’s what we want to see. You want to see your own country doing well in the top competition.
“[There were] cycles before: La Liga a couple of years ago, now it’s the Germans, and hopefully people will be saying the same about the Premier League.”
Sky analysts (l-r) Redknapp, Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville and Graeme Souness (© Chris Crisman/Corbis)
Redknapp on… Moyes in the transfer market
“I think he could have done with a marquee signing. I think that’s probably where the pressure is coming on.
“When you go for Thiago first of all and it looks like they are going to sign him, then he decides to go to Bayern, I think that’s a kick in the teeth.
“Then you go for Fabregas and you go strong because, let’s not kid ourselves, when you go to sign a player you are not making a blind phonecall. You know there has been some dialogue with the player, via the agent or even with managers.
“When you go for a player and you don’t end up getting him, it doesn’t show the club or [Moyes] in the greatest light.”
Redknapp on… his surprise package for this season
“I think Swansea are ready to get into the top six. I think they could do it. I like their early signings, I like the business they’ve done.
“[Jonjo Shelvey] is the sort of player I think could develop into a really strong midfield player.
“[Wilfried] Bony, dad’s watched him a lot and we’ve obviously spoken a lot. He’s like Yakubu, he’s a goalscoring machine. Michu as well.
“I love the way they play and I like the manager. If they keep that squad together, they could go well this year.”
“Sky kicks off its biggest ever Premier League season with live coverage of Swansea v Man Utd on Sky Sports 1, Sky 2 and Pick TV on 17 August.”
