Muller: Football players are just commercial goods

Bayern Munich attacker Thomas Muller has voiced his dismay with the way clubs are treating players these days and is not impressed with the amounts of money trading hands in the game.

Manchester United set a new world record ahead of the 2016-17 campaign when they spent an initial transfer fee of €105 million (£89m) on Paul Pogba, having had a similar offer rejected for Muller a year before.

The Germany international, however, feels no player is worth such a figure and believes the game is slowly turning into a “circus”.

“The figures that are being paid these days are absurd. No human being is worth that kind of money,” Muller told GQ.

“Modern day football players are like commercial goods. But this should not affect us. You are only going to put yourself under a lot of pressure if you start thinking about a high transfer fee.

“I am quite relaxed under all this. It is all about having fun on the pitch for me, to help your team-mates and to win things.

“But you have to realise that you are part of a business when you are a football player. You are part of one big circus. You cannot let this get to you or it will drive you crazy as a human being.”

At the age of 27, Muller still has much of his career ahead of him, but he is already contemplating retirement if clubs are to allow cameras inside the dressing room as they look at other ways to increase revenues.

“Cameras in the dressing room would be too much for me,” Muller added.

“I hope to have retired before that happens.

“A camera misses nothing in the dressing room. A team lives in the dressing room, what happens there is of no interest to any one else. Cameras in the dressing room would be a no-go for me.”