West Ham United have signed 19-year-old Carlos Borges from Manchester City for a staggering £14 million. [Fabrizio Romano]
This move, while exciting for West Ham fans, serves as a stark reminder of the financial realities that clubs like Celtic face in the transfer market.
Borges, who came through the Manchester City academy, has yet to make a senior appearance for the club. Despite his impressive record of 21 goals and 12 assists in 20 starts in the Premier League 2 last season, the £14 million fee is a significant outlay for a player untested at the senior level.
Celtic, despite having substantial funds in the bank, are unlikely to splash such a high amount on a player who hasn’t played a senior minute. The club’s record transfer remains the £9 million spent on Odsonne Edouard, a figure significantly lower than what West Ham have paid for Borges.
The speculation around Borges’ transfer was fuelled by the departure of Celtic’s Jota, who moved to Saudi Arabia for a fee of £25 million at the start of July. Borges was seen as a potential replacement for Jota [Daily Record], but the size of the fee made the move unfeasible for Celtic.
The Borges transfer underscores the financial disparities in football, where Premier League clubs can afford to spend silly amounts on promising young players, while clubs in other leagues, even those as successful as Celtic, struggle to compete in the same market.
However, Celtic have found success in a different market – Asia.
The club has brought in players like Hatate, Maeda, and Kyogo for relatively low fees, and these players have proven to be valuable assets. Their high resale value, especially in the case of Reo Hatate, demonstrates Celtic’s shrewdness in the transfer market.
Celtic’s success in the Asian market suggests that the club should continue to focus on this area and similar ones, identifying and developing talent rather than competing with English clubs for high-priced players. This strategy not only makes financial sense but also aligns with Celtic’s tradition of nurturing young talent and selling them on for profit.
