Alvardo Negredo’s position at Middlesbrough proves how strong the appeal of the Premier League really is.
When it comes to the age old debate about the greatest league in world football, the Premier League and La Liga are usually the two leading candidates. It’s understandable given the pedigree of players and teams that play in the divisions from week to week, but small anecdotes like Alvaro Negredo’s move to Middlesbrough perfectly highlight why the English have the slight edge.
It may have seemed likely that Negredo would have eventually switched back to English football with a club who play in Europe. However, the fact he chose Boro after a stint with Manchester City and Valencia highlights that the strength of the division, and any team in it, is a convincing demonstration of the Premier League.
The Spaniard was struggling at the Mestalla before agreeing his move to the Riverside, compared to his early Manchester City days and his time with Seville. The difficulty of this division cannot be understated and it’s emphasised by just how competitive Negredo is finding things over here.
Middlesbrough’s Alvaro Negredo celebrates scoring their first goal
The fact that there was a Spaniard in charge in the form of Karanka likely helped to sway Alvaro’s decision, but that Karanka himself took the job when Boro were in the second tier shows how tempting a move to England really is.
Boro’s ability to bring in players like Negredo, and former Barcelona star Victor Valdes, are huge incentive going forward for teams coming up from the Championship. Players from abroad appear to be jumping at the chance to move over no matter how high up the table clubs are. Granted, alot of people will say that’s due to the money being thrown around, but that in itself contributes to the appeal.
Middlesbrough’s Alvaro Negredo with Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka
Plus, the competitive nature of the game over here has been known for years now. We always hear stories in the press of players telling their pals abroad what the division is like in an attempt to bring them over, which tells you all you need to know. Either way you’ll be playing against some of the greatest teams and in front of the greatest fans in Europe, meanwhile the likes of La Liga tend to be dominated by the same two or three sides year in and year out.
People can say what they want in terms of this debate, but it seems clear that the collective appeal of Premier League edges out the Ronaldos and Messis of the world.
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