Andy Dunn: Newcastle United to get ‘bargain of the decade’ amid Declan Rice development at West Ham United
Journalist Andy Dunn has referred to Nicolo Barella as the “bargain of the decade” when comparing his reported pricetag to West Ham star, Declan Rice’s.
Rice and Barella have both been linked with moves away from their respective clubs during this transfer window.
West Ham turned a bid from Arsenal down for their captain, as reported by Sky Sports News (15 June), while The Telegraph has reported (14 June) that Newcastle are closing in on a sensational £50million deal for Nico Barella.
In a column in The Mirror (Page 67, 16 June) journalist Dunn has explained his view on the two respective transfer fees.
“Their eventual size (transfer fees) is often determined by factors other than a player’s ability. Length of contract, age, release clauses, relationship with representatives etc, etc,” Dunn wrote.
“But, If Declan Rice goes from West Ham to Arsenal for £100million and Nicolo Barella goes from Inter Milan to St James’ Park for £50million, then Newcastle United will be getting the bargain of the decade.”
In the case of Rice, however, he has just one year left on his West Ham contract, although there is an option to extend it by 12 months.
Spot on
Dunn is spot on in his claims. Of course, no transfer is ever straightforward and the factors he has mentioned mean it is difficult to compare fees for different players accurately. However, in the case of Rice and Barella, if Rice was to end up costing double what Barella would cost, Newcastle would be getting a bargain.
The West Ham captain is two years younger than Barella, which would increase his value, however, he also doesn’t have the same amount of time left on his contract, with the Itallian’s contract running until 2026. Therefore, Barella truly would be a steal.
However, it is important to factor in some things Dunn hasn’t mentioned such as Rice being Premier League proven, which would increase his value. His homegrown status would also make him more valuable with a particular quota needing to be met.
While Rice isn’t necessarily double the player Barella is, other factors make his £100million price tag about right. West Ham are in a position where it is hard to see them selling for any less.