Robben Nearing a Move to Real Madrid. Wait, For How Much?
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by Ea34
It was reported on Tuesday that, according to the player’s father/agent, this may be the week that Real Madrid and Chelsea complete a deal that would send 23 year-old Dutch winger, Arjen Robben to Spain. This headline can hardly be classified as shocking; with persistent rumors making the big question surrounding this deal “when”, and not “if”. As the speculated Robben-to-Real move nears its inevitable conclusion, I can’t help but be somewhat surprised at the financial figures being bandied about regarding his transfer fee. Foxsoccer.com has reported anywhere from £25-27 million ($50-54 million), which raises an important question. Is Arjen Robben really a £25 million ($50 million) footballer?
While he certainly has youth, pace and excellent skill on his side, Robben is has not been the best player on his own team since arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2004. It can be argued that right now, he’s not even one of Chelsea’s top five players (Drogba, Terry, Essien, Lampard and Makalele, perhaps others). Robben’s been a solid member of some fantastic Chelsea sides, but he’s never been a dominant force on the pitch, scoring 15 goals in 3 seasons.
If his transfer fee exceeds $50 million, don’t the fees paid for many of this season’s transfers begin to look like bargains? I mean, think about it. What sounds like a better deal, $50M for Arjen Robben or $67M for BOTH Thierry Henry and Franck Ribery (who may be Robben’s equal just by himself)?
