In terms of pecking order Real Madrid (hate using 'Real' and expect everyone to know who you mean at the detriment of other clubs called Real. Similarly I'll never call Man u - 'United', or man City 'city' - fkin arrogant mancs...)and Barcelona have almost always been able to get players due to who they are. There is no question as to them being the biggest clubs to most football fans.
after that there are a slue of clubs that can also get players based on their name alone:
Man U
Juventus
Bayern Munich
Juve struggled to do it when the Italian league was struggling but they still pulled in top names. There have been times when milan, Inter, Lazio etc have been able to draw the biggest names but it has been relatively shortlived.
Liverpool are an odd one because they do attract players and have the money and trophies to back themselves up. However klopp and the Coutinho money has somewhat skewed what there natural place seemed to have become for 25 or so years.
so in terms of looking at size using this barometer alone. If real and Barce come calling the player goes. less so Man U, Juve, Bayern but they still will attract players from the tranche of clubs below them and the odd one or two from the top two - but only if the top two don't want that player.
if we look at the English game then it kind of still works the same but only as a short-termism. In League One with a level playing field you will have the pick of the players given your size. In the premier League the pecking is slightly skewed again because of relative success but, ahem, size does still matter.
take leicester as an example. A very good team and well-run club but not a big club. If a Man U/ C, Liverpool, Chelsea, arsenal etc come in for a player that both clubs want, then again, with all things being equal Leicester will struggle to get the player over those clubs. they will stand their ground against most others but they still would not necessarily be next in the pecking order for the better players.
Also, walk around foreign lands and other than Thailand you won't see leicester shirts. nothing to criticise them for, and not trying to demean them as a club just using them as an example.
In terms of pecking order Real Madrid (hate using 'Real' and expect everyone to know who you mean at the detriment of other clubs called Real. Similarly I'll never call Man u - 'United', or man City 'city' - fkin arrogant mancs...)and Barcelona have almost always been able to get players due to who they are. There is no question as to them being the biggest clubs to most football fans.
after that there are a slue of clubs that can also get players based on their name alone:
Man U
Juventus
Bayern Munich
Juve struggled to do it when the Italian league was struggling but they still pulled in top names. There have been times when milan, Inter, Lazio etc have been able to draw the biggest names but it has been relatively shortlived.
Liverpool are an odd one because they do attract players and have the money and trophies to back themselves up. However klopp and the Coutinho money has somewhat skewed what there natural place seemed to have become for 25 or so years.
so in terms of looking at size using this barometer alone. If real and Barce come calling the player goes. less so Man U, Juve, Bayern but they still will attract players from the tranche of clubs below them and the odd one or two from the top two - but only if the top two don't want that player.
if we look at the English game then it kind of still works the same but only as a short-termism. In League One with a level playing field you will have the pick of the players given your size. In the premier League the pecking is slightly skewed again because of relative success but, ahem, size does still matter.
take leicester as an example. A very good team and well-run club but not a big club. If a Man U/ C, Liverpool, Chelsea, arsenal etc come in for a player that both clubs want, then again, with all things being equal Leicester will struggle to get the player over those clubs. they will stand their ground against most others but they still would not necessarily be next in the pecking order for the better players.
Also, walk around foreign lands and other than Thailand you won't see leicester shirts. nothing to criticise them for, and not trying to demean them as a club just using them as an example.
