Liverpool indeed, needed a winger. They needed a player who could provide the width and crossing ability to deliver some balls into the box for Andy Carroll and Luiz Suarez. This position was therefore incredibly important for them, and for their strikers success next season. They were linked with the highly rated Spanish youngster Juan Mata for £20 million, but for the same amount, they have spent it on a 26 year-old former Middlesbrough winger, who was bought by Aston Villa for half that amount only two years ago.
It is a great bit of business for Villa, but it once again highlights how inflated prices for footballers, in particular English footballers have become. Liverpool seems to be on a one man mission to provide us all with some prime examples of when clubs overpay for English players. Already have they spent £35 million on Andy Carroll, then the £20 million spent on Jordan Henderson which is quite laughable, and now this.
That is £75 million on three English players with very little top class experience to note - 495 club appearances between them - and now a massive amount of pressure on their shoulders to deliver next season.
Arsenal have been criticized for not spending large amounts on big players, but in this case, they were extremely lucky to escape this transfer saga. Arsenal registered their interest in Downing last week, and enquired about his availability, but were clearly put off immediately by the price tag dangling from Downing. £20 million is a ridiculous fee to pay for Stewart Downing, and Arsenal made a very intelligent and grounded move by steering clear of any more involvement in a deal.
Liverpool on the other hand have really piled the pressure onto Downing. Two years ago he was brought to Aston Villa from Middlesbrough for £10 million. In two years, 79 appearances and 11 goals later, his value has inexplicably been doubled, and along with the price tag comes an enormous amount of pressure to prove his worth. If he doesn't make an immediate impact, he could easily be branded a "flop", much like Alberto Aquilani has.
Look at Shaun Wright Phillips for example. He was bought by Chelsea for a ridiculous fee of £21 million in 2005. He couldn't make an impact at all, and failed miserably to assert himself as a starter, and was sold back to City, but now, as a result of his time pretty much doing nothing at Chelsea, his career has come to a stand still. Lets not be too hasty, but I think this period in his career will prove to be massive, because if he fails to live up to expectations, it could ruin his confidence, and ruin his career.
