No, no, no... I actually want Walker, but saying 45 million is the starting price is ridiculous. And pretending its good busines is even worse. We have to view things within there relevant contexts.
Walker is a top FB in the Prem. Who are he other top fullbacks? Clyne, dude at Everton, dude at the rags, and Cedric Soares.
Many view Clyne to be as good as Walker, he cost 12.5 million 2 years ago. The price for good fullbacks didn't suddenly jump over 300% in 2 years.
We seem to have developed a wierd comfortably with overpaying. You here comments like "in the present market" or "English add-on" etc
But if you check the facts, you quickly find none of those beliefs or ideologies hold water.
Teams sometimes overpay for exceptional players. Because the value added is beyond replacement for their position. But generally, good players at each position tend to have a price range - plus or minus a few millions based on length of K left, how important to the club the player is and if the purchase is a hostile grab.
Those things increase prices a bit here and there. But your run of the mill transfer of a good player who's position has been usurped on his team already?
That should be textbook basic pricing. 13million (Clyne's price) add 10 million (inflation over 2 years) that's 22 million, add another 5 million for being a rival team's player. That leaves us at 27 million. So I added another 3 million just to be safe and to get us to a round number. 30 million. That's how I reached my guess.
At 35 million we are overpaying, but okay. I guess an extra 5 million coz we really need a fullback who is English.
But at 45, that's just being robbed. And yes, I get we'll get robbed sometimes (see Mangala)... But I'd be damned if anyone tries to convince me its a good deal.
We'll do it if we must, but like Stones deal, it would be a shit deal. However unlike Stones, Walker will neither have the time nor ability to ever make it worth it.