Window spend 'insane' to Jez Moxey
Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey has told of how the £85million transfer deadline day splash by Liverpool and Chelsea left him to "question the sanity" of the clubs.
Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey has told of how the £85million transfer deadline day splash by Liverpool and Chelsea left him to "question the sanity" of the clubs.
Yesterday's cash-drenched sprint to the finishing line of the January transfer window saw Fernando Torres' £50million sale to Chelsea triggering Andy Carroll's £35million switch to Liverpool.
But Wolves' first officer believes the dramatic final business revealed a desperation to undertake huge gambles.
Moxey said: "Did yesterday's figures surprise me? I can honestly say 'no' but it was a staggering amount of money splurged in the last few hours. I have to say I question the sanity of it.
"I read about clubs like Tottenham bidding for a player at the 12th hour in Charlie Adam and it just seems bizarre to do a deal of such magnitude at such a late stage.
"We wouldn't dream of doing our business that way. It shows a huge desperation within the transfer business. We wouldn't participate in that activity. We're all chasing the dream.
"But we're trying to do it in a way which doesn't jeopardise the future of the club and we won't be distracted from that policy."
Moxey also today revealed how he left a desperate agent with a flea in his ear when he tried to offload a player to Wolves just before the window closed.
The chief executive said: "We stuck to our principles of using the window in good time and with all the preparatory work.
"People will say 'but you took Adriano Basso on the last day' but, in reality, the deal had been done three days earlier.
"I had an agent ring me up at about 10.20pm last night trying to put a low-key player our way and he wondered why I left him with a flea in his ear.
"I said 'you must be joking, why are you calling me with barely half an hour to go? Why not call me on the 1st or the 12th or even the 25th of the month?'
"We have a much more planned approach to our recruitment."
Moxey does, however, still believes the transfer window restrictions benefit the game.
He said: "Overall I'm in favour. It concentrates the mind and focus for those clubs willing to do the proper groundwork."