How the Potential Kaka Transfer Could Impact Manchester City, World Football

The media has been buzzing for the past few days about the impending transfer of the Brazilian playmaker Kaka, from AC Milan to Manchester City—and as I write that sentence, I cannot believe that a player would want to make that switch.

I will try to take a completely objective view of the entire transfer: the financial, and the football factors.

 

ARE AC MILAN DOOMED IF KAKA LEAVES?

To put it very simply: no. Kaka is a fantastic player and epitomises AC Milan in many ways but players can be replaced. Figo left Barcelona for Real Madrid, and Juventus sold Zinedine Zidane to the Madrid based club not long after that when both of them were "indispensible" to their respective clubs and nobody saw them crash and burn after their respective sales.

AC Milan will be around a £100 million richer and will not only have the ability to compete in a deflated transfer market, but they have the likes of Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato who can replace Kaka—albeit only on paper.

Either way, Kaka's loss will be felt by them for awhile but in the long run, nobody offers £100 million for one player and that is perhaps why AC Milan are contemplating Kaka's departure.

AC Milan will also feel a sense of irony, albeit bitter, because they are not saints in any way in the transfer market—having tried to destabilize many a club over the past few years. 

 

CAN MANCHESTER CITY COMPETE IF KAKA DOES ARRIVE?

It's very strange how the word "compete" changes from league to league. As far as the Premier League is concerned, "compete" means being able to defend first and foremost and also possessing the ability to be up for a fight.

The English Premier League is also played at a slightly higher tempo than the Italian League and that, to a large extent, will take acclimatising to as far as the Brazilian is concerned.

The transfer market has been used ostensibly in the past by clubs like Real Madrid - so what Manchester City are doing is nothing new. Chelsea did contemplate signing Ronaldinho in his prime for an amount of money not unlike the one suggested in this case, so this is not a change in any way.

But a club which has leaked goals 19 goals in 20 matches is hardly calling for a flamboyant player. A team which cannot defend, cannot win consistently even if it had Kaka and Lionel Messi in its ranks. The Premier League doesn't allow such a cavalier approach to football.

If Kaka does move to Manchester City, it will turn heads for good or bad. Players will want to play with the likes of Kaka and Robinho, and that coupled with the monetary merits of joining the club will appeal to many players in the world who have quality.

The bottom line is that this signing is more ostensible than necessary.

 

WHY WOULD KAKA MOVE TO MANCHESTER CITY?

I don't think that this particular question requires answering. If he does move, a lot of words like "ambition" will be bandied about but make no mistake - Kaka is facing a big decision as far as his career, and to a greater extent, his life is concerned.

It's not everyday that some football club is willing to pay half-a-million pounds a week to a player. A footballer's lifespan is around 15 years and to be fair, they do have the right to earn the money which is offered to them in those 15 years.

However, one cannot help thinking that Kaka would make a wise choice only if the move were happening the other way around (Man City to Milan). Why would a player of his class join Manchester City—a club which is fighting it out at the bottom of the Premier League table?

Kaka seems to be a down to earth person, and the signs he is sending out seem to suggest that he might not accept the deal.

He also cannot be guaranteed success at a club like Manchester City, and that could well make him stay at AC Milan.

It's also worth noting that Robinho's move to Manchester City made him look like a clown back home in Brazil. One might wonder what picture-perfect Kaka might look like back home if he does make a similar switch.

 

THE IMPACT ON THE PREMIER LEAGUE

The Premier League would certainly be boosted by the arrival of Kaka. But it's interesting to note again, that the likes of Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been quiet throughout this transfer saga.

Manchester City have produced a lot of talented players like Micah Richards, Stephen Ireland and Daniel Sturridge—so how will bringing in a Brazilian for £100 million help the home-grown regulations?

On the footballing side though, I doubt if any neutral would be bitter by Kaka's arrival to the Premier League—it will certainly make compelling viewing—as if it isn't already compelling enough!

The transfer market will also be polarised to a large extent—and a Premier League with so much financial disparity is not a healthy Premier League in the long run.

 

At the end of the day, the two clubs and the player will make the move only if it suits them. One can only hope that the standards of football improve, but at the same time wonder how the sport is now witnessing a financial divide which might just spoil the fun in the bigger picture.