Is Cristiano Ronaldo really that expensive?
I really don't understand all the hassle about Ronaldo's transfer to Madrid. Let's have a short look at some data: I started with all existing data on the most expensive soccer transfers (starting around 1900), corrected the amounts for inflation over the years, and plotted a small graph. The exponential fit is almost stunning. And maybe even more crazy: the most expensive soccer player will (if the trend continues) top 1 Billion pounds somewhere around 2040-2050!
The yearly 8% (real) increase in price is not so crazy too. Soccer is getting increasingly popular and revenues are obtained from fans all over the world these days. I wonder if this increase is going to last. We'll see in the coming years....
