Counting the cost on and off the pitch…

Football isn’t immune to the cost of living crisis, and that’s been reflected in a cautious summer in the transfer market.

Apart from Kylian Mbappe and his stupid £250m contract at PSG, you’re not seeing anything ridiculous even at the highest levels of the game.

In the EFL, there’s none of the reckless spending that has characterised recent seasons, especially in the Championship.

Swansea, for example, lost Flynn Downes for £12m (to West Ham). But they’re not going out and ploughing that straight into new signings.

I also know from working as an intermediary that clubs are offering players incentive bonuses rather than up-front wages. It’s slow, it’s steady, and it’s cautious.

Mainly, that’s a hangover from Covid and the after effects of playing in empty stadiums for a season. Clubs just don’t have the cash reserves.

It’s also a sign of the times. Fuel prices are sky high. Food prices are rising. The price of living for the individual is higher than ever and that’s going to be reflected in things like season ticket renewals.

Somebody who once bought a full season ticket might now downgrade to a half. Instead of paying up-front, people might buy in instalments.

Like a lot of people, I’m looking at all the clubs and activities I send my kids to and I’m wondering whether it’s affordable. And I’m fortunate – for others it’s a case of ‘What’s more important, heating my house and feeding my kids or going to watch my team play football?’.

The Premier League will always be the Premier League.

But in the EFL, I think the times have definitely changed.