West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady delivered her verdict on Wolves and Fulham’s transfer business and suggested that both clubs were right to spend big.
The business woman shared that the two Premier League new boys had appeared to have it easy this summer if you believe money talks as both had made their managers’ tasks easier.
Brady commented in detail on Wolves’ transfer dealings as she labelled the capture of goalkeeper Rui Patricio a bargain before also remarking on agent Jorge Mendes’ influence of the club’s signings.
“Rather they rewrote the book, choosing to blitz the transfer market, partly because they could but more because self-made, cash-wallowing owners acted like smart people do by taking out insurance,” wrote Brady in her column for The Sun.
“Fulham acquired no fewer than 12 new faces for more than £100million, while Wolves gave fresh employment to ten at a cost of around £65m.
“One of them, Portuguese international keeper Rui Patricio was a bargain free transfer, such expensive mass immigration might not work but the odds say it will.
“To a degree Wolves and Fulham have had it easy, especially if you believe money is the only thing that talks.
“Wolves have a distinct Portuguese flavour or, perhaps more accurately, a distinct Jorge Mendes flavour.
“Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent knows the Chinese bosses at Molineux and it says a lot for him that the players he brought in were the answer to their prayers. Nuno was a revelatory acquisition, updating his club’s old English style with a dollop of progressive football inspired by Ruben Neves, a wonderful young midfielder who has already scored a sublime free-kick against Everton.”
OPINION
It seems Brady is fascinated to see how spending a huge amount of money upon getting promoted to the Premier League works out for a side. The senior West Ham figure seems equal parts impressed by Wolves’ and Fulham’s transfer dealings just as much as she appears to be a little judgemental about it. Wolves have previously had to deal with others judging their transfer business in recent seasons as they have continued to surprise people by the calibre of players they’ve been able to attract but the proof is in the pudding. No one will say word about Wolves’, or even Fulham’s to some degree, decision to recruit loads of new faces and leave their Championship squads behind if it results in them doing well in the Premier League. Brady seems to think that recruiting a lot of quality players will see both sides be fine even if there is a risk to completely changing a team. It’s no surprise that this is her current view given the fact that her side, the Hammers, didn’t exactly have a quiet summer either.