We’ve seen that the asking prices for English youngsters have got bigger and bigger over the years, so it can make it difficult to figure out how much someone is actually worth.
In some senses you could just say it depends how much a team is willing to pay. It will come down to how much any prospective buyer believes in the player as well, if they really feel they could go on to become a top level player then paying £50m will be seen as worth it.
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That could be the decision that Arsenal and Spurs face when it comes to Norwich City defender Ben Godfrey. The Daily Star has reported that both clubs are looking at the England U21 captain, but it would cost them £50m.
The centre-back position is an area of need for both teams but for different reasons. In truth, Arsenal are a mess all over the pitch but it’s hard to say their fortunes wouldn’t be improved if they had a solid base to build on. David Luiz is error prone as expected, while the others haven’t shown enough to say they would be the long term answer.
Spurs have a solid defence for now, but they are getting older and contracts are running down. The story indicates that it’s still doubtful if Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen will sign a new deal or leave next Summer, so it makes sense that they are looking at potential replacements.
Godfrey has certainly looked impressive at times, but he does feature in a defence that concedes more than two goals a game and sits in the relegation zone. That price tag would bring a lot of pressure for a young player who would be untested at the very top level.
It would certainly represent a risk, but this could be the going rate for a talented youngster in the Premier League just now.