Ramirez Transfer Takes An Unpleasant Twist

Hilarious is the only word to describe the Gaston Ramirez fiasco. Over the last few days, the Uruguayan midfielder has revelled in informing the press of how rich he is set to become as a Southampton player. Yet according to his current club Bologna, a deal is yet to be done.

Having been asked about a potential move to the south coast, Ramirez replied as if the transfer had been signed, sealed and he have been unveiled as a Saints player. With so many memorable quotes from the midfielder’s response, perhaps the most indicative of his desires was ‘they will give me so much money’, according to an article by liverpool-kop.com.

The Uruguayan went on to state that only the finer details where being arranged in the deal, with outlines already agreed between the clubs and between himself and Southampton. Yet this is far from the truth, as pointed out by Bologna president Albano Guaraldi having heard Ramirez’ comments who stressed that the Italians had yet to accept a bid.

With questions of loyalty surrounding Robin van Persie’s move to Manchester United, said issue is only going to be raked on again when discussing Ramirez and his actions. The Uruguayan has highlighted the somewhat ugly, business side of the game and how money really can affect a person’s loyalty in life.

Yet there are two sides to this argument. On the one hand, many would condemn him for his statements, considering club loyalty to be far above any riches in life. However we also forget that football is a way to earn a living – if there is no emotional attachment particularly to a club then surely moving for more money is just a logical option. Ramirez was developed in the Uruguayan Premier League before moving to Italy in 2010 – perhaps he simply saw Bologna as a stepping stone to a bigger and brighter future.

&In short, although Ramirez’ values may be judged by others the fact is we are in no place to pass judgement. However when it comes to the manner in which he expressed them, then we can. This shows a severe lack of maturity and professionalism in dealing with a proposed transfer, something which will certainly dampen his image.

At the moment, Ramirez’ Southampton move has been put on hold, with both clubs still in negotiations over the player. Should the move fall through, then the Uruguayan’s words could come back to bite him and hard. Other clubs may be incredibly reluctant to hedge their bets on a player that has expressed such financial greed and self-obsession when considering a transfer.

Yet in all honesty, despite Ramirez’ words being inappropriate, the midfielder’s shouldn’t be held against him. He is simply saying something that many footballers before him, and many after, are thinking.