Kejian, a Chinese Telecommunications company, teamed up with ACIG Media and construction firm Xing He to help finance the transfer, leaving Everton to pay little, if any, of the amount paid for his services. In return, then chief executive at Everton, Michael Dunford said that, “there will be young players coming across to Everton on a regular basis, and some of our Academy coaching staff will be visiting to China to assist with their youth development programme.
The companies involved want to see more Chinese players come over to this country [to play.]” From deals such as these, China get to see their best players compete on the best stage of domestic football in the world and in return, not only do Everton get much of the fee paid for by sponsors, they gain recognition and revenue from the market they attract, thus fan base they develop, in Asia too. This is due to the interest the player brings with him from his home country.
The potential income from young growing markets, such as the footballing one in Asia, is one that will be pivotal in the success of clubs in the future. The move for Li Tie also saw Everton benefit financially off the pitch: from 2002-2004, the same company which helped buy the midfielder, Kejian, became the shirt sponsors of Everton in a deal worth £1m-a-year to The Toffees and as an advertising slot to the 93 million people who watch the Premier League in China every week, for Kejian. With the Asian market for players growing stronger with each year, as proven by the rising numbers playing in the top European leagues such as Keisuke Honda of CSKA Moscow, Shinji Kagawa at Borussia Dortmund and Yuto Nagatomo at Inter Milan, a dip back into the market may well strengthen the playing side as much as it would the financial.
Southampton F.C have already moved into the Asian market this window, signing Japanese international Tadanari Lee and West Ham look to follow suit with a move for his Japanese strike partner Ryoichi Maeda. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who signed 19-year old Japanese forward Ryo Miyaichi last year, said of the Asian market, “Two aspects of the development of the game; one will come from the States, the second big part I’m convinced will be Asia,” said the former boss of Japanese side Nagoya Grampus Eight, “In these two countries and continents they have an aptitude to have a team attitude and a hardworking attitude and I think once they get the education they will produce good players.”
2. The American Market
Secondly, as alluded to by Wenger in the above quote, is the potential of the market for growth, as well as that of players, in the United States. With the quality of football continuously improving in America, more and more players are making the move out and at a young age, rather than in and during their twilight years. Clint Dempsey, Maurice Edu and Jermaine Jones are all enjoying successful careers as Americans in the top flights of Europe; however, at Everton there is a small contingent of Yanks in Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann and the loan return of Landon Donovan and other MLS players have had their names linked with moves to the Premier League this window: Break Shea, who is currently training at Arsenal, has been linked with a permanent move to The Emirates and Bolton are lining up Tim Ream as a replacement for Gary Cahill.
With soccer growing more popular with each passing campaign – undoubtedly aided by David Beckham’s multi-million pound move to LA Galaxy in 2007 and the constant stream of ex-Premier League players such as Robbie Keane, Juan Pablo Angel and Abel Xavier – attracting a fan base in the United States of America could bode well for Everton’s bank balance. The relationship they already have with the captain of the country’s national football team should stand them in good stead and with Tim Howard an evergreen in the Everton team over the past five years, attracting players shouldn’t be a problem.