Bye Bye Bullard

By: timmyg | January 23rd, 2009

Okay so I’m a little late on this. But in case you didn’t know Jimmy Bullard has been sold to Hull City for 5 million pounds.

As I’ve stated here and elsewhere, the question of Bullard leaving this transfer window was always a possibility. In fact, I’m really not surprised it happened considering this “groin/hamstring/plague” series of scratches was eerily similar to Defoe’s “flu.”

But its the where and the cost that really bugs me. From a business perspective, a player like Bullard going to a club like Hull City for five million quid is absolute nonsense. Hull might as well have just taken him on a Bosman.

To date, this transfer window hasn’t been about the how much money a team can spend on a player (ManCity aside). Instead, its about how much they can charge for a player. Get the difference?

Look at West Ham and Blackburn in comparison to ManCity. Under a good economy, ManCity would be spending oodles of cash — on top of what they already have — and no one would bat an eye. 10 million for Santa Cruz? Sure. Blackburn can turn around and find another quality striker for the same price they got him in the first place. Same with West Ham Bellamy.

But because cash is so tight at clubs across the island, both clubs and players are demanding more. Every penny is being fought for, negotiated, demanded, blackballed, etc. This transfer market is essentially sporting usury. Thats why Bellamy cost 14 million, and Santa Cruz will cost over 20.

So to see a deal like this go through is mind-boggling. Bullard should have been sold to a club like Hull for 7+ million. Nothing less.

And I say that because in this market it’ll be nearly impossible to recoup that net-2 million pound loss and find a good player on the cheap, anywhere.

I trust Roy, especially his transfer acumen. But unless he pulls a rabbit of a hat this is a huge blow in my eyes.

Jon Carter over at soccernet has an interesting perspective, and its not too kind.

Jimmy Bullard: One time England favourite, fishing fanatic and now a certified money-grabber of the highest proportion after his £5m club-record move to Hull City went through.

The reason? Not that Bullard has been impressed by the Tigers’ form this season, or that he thinks Phil Brown can develop his career so that he can eventually supplant Steven Gerrard in Fabio Capello’s England side; but that Hull are willing to offer him a whopping contract, while Fulham just weren’t.

With all the talk over whether one of the world’s best players, Kaka, would be tempted by City’s cash, it’s funny that Bullard should cop the flak for ditching Fulham’s push for Europe in favour of £££.

Still, Hull have been on a bit of a spending spree recently and we reckon that Bullard will be a pretty decent signing for them, as long as his weighty pockets don’t hinder his forays up the pitch.

Report from K-Town tomorrow.