Müller: Footballers are just "commercial goods" in "circus"
The Bayern Munich and Germany striker is no fan of the way the game is going and says he "hopes to be retired" before cameras are put in dressing rooms.Nadal-Anderson: US Open Final
Bayern Munich striker Thomas Müller has voiced his displeasure with several aspects of the modern game, hitting out at the way clubs treat players and questioning the sums of money changing hands in football.
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 for Müller rejected for Müller a year earlier.
The Germany international, however, feels no player is worth such a figure and believes the game is slowly turning into a "circus".
Müller: "Transfer fees are absurd"
"The figures that are being paid these days are absurd. No human being is worth that kind of money," Müller 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, Müller 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 a "no-go"
"Cameras in the dressing room would be too much for me," Müller said. "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."