The game, the fun and the money: Clubs splash a staggering Sh250bn on players

What you need to know:

  • The most expensive Kenyan player of all time, Victor Wanyama, was incidentally purchased by EPL club Southampton for Sh2 billion last August.
  • Williamson - who turned out for West Bromwich Albion in England between 1986-88 - also maintains the task of developing football in Kenya falls squarely with the Government.
  • A sizeable chunk of finances in English football are derived from gate collections, alongside sale of TV rights and merchandise to the global audience. Several football teams are bankrolled by billionaire business moguls.

European football clubs had by midnight Monday spent Sh250 billion, more than Kenya’s budgetary allocation to devolution this year, buying new players as the curtains came down on this season’s transfer window.

English clubs alone spent over Sh125 billion buying and selling players in the three-months period as they sought to strengthen their arsenals in a season football fans across the world expect to be thriller.

In some of the eye-catching transactions, a cheque of Sh8 billion was drawn by Manchester United for Argentine winger Angel di Maria from Spanish giants Real Madrid. Other notable purchases include Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal), Diego Costa (Chelsea), Romelu Lukaku (Everton), Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea), Adam Lallana (Liverpool) and Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City).

Each of the aforementioned cost in upwards of Sh4 billion in signing fees alone. Besides, each of the said players will earn an average of Sh15 million a week in salary and bonuses alongside other privileges.

GULF IN DIFFERENCE

Tellingly, such is the gulf in class between England and Kenya that such finances would be considered for projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway, laptops for primary schools or healthcare.

For comparison’s sake, Humphrey Mieno is the most expensive Kenyan Premier League player, the midfielder having been acquired by AFC Leopards for Sh1 million from Sofapaka in June.

Another Kenyan, Allan Wanga, was bought by Sudanese club El Merreikh with a reported Sh4 million cheque handed to his club AFC Leopards. Kenya Premier League recruits meanwhile pocket anything between Sh50,000 - Sh400,000 as sign-on fees. And the average salary of a KPL player is Sh30,000.

The most expensive Kenyan player of all time, Victor Wanyama, was incidentally purchased by EPL club Southampton for Sh2 billion last August.

Although England is a far more developed country, professional and established business entity, it brings no harm in looking up-to such competitions and learning one or two things about how its growth occurred.

Harambee Stars coach Bobby Williamson argues it is ‘unfair’ to draw any comparisons between the Kenyan and English Premier leagues in any level at this moment.

Williamson - who turned out for West Bromwich Albion in England between 1986-88 - also maintains the task of developing football in Kenya falls squarely with the Government.

“We cannot draw comparisons between the English Premier League and the Kenyan Premier League. There is a huge gulf in class. Kenyans can only look upto some of the established leagues on the (African) continent for direction. But for the sake of making baby steps in the right direction.

we should not  expect (KPL rights holders) SuperSport to deliver everything for the Kenyan Premier League to grow. The Government also needs to invest significantly in grassroots football for Kenya to stand a chance of producing top notch talent in the coming years,” the Scottish trainer said.

A sizeable chunk of finances in English football are derived from gate collections, alongside sale of TV rights and merchandise to the global audience. Several football teams are bankrolled by billionaire business moguls.

Kenyan football administrators should copy and paste this tried and tested business model.