Rafael van der Vaart: Only Messi and Ronaldo are worth the money Man City paid for Elliot Anderson

Former Real Madrid and Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has given his take on Manchester City's record-breaking move for England midfielder Elliot Anderson. The former Netherlands international, who earned 109 caps for his country, did not hold back on the transfer market's spiralling fees and laid the blame right at the feet of the Premier League.

The Dutchman questioned whether Anthony Gordon was right to leave Newcastle for Barcelona ahead of Marcus Rashford, whose future is currently in limbo. He also praised Jude Bellingham's transformation at Real Madrid and warned that Harry Kane's deep-lying habits could be doing more harm than good for England this summer.

Anderson signing puts Reijnders under pressure

Manchester City's British record signing of Elliot Anderson has raised questions over Tijjani Reijnders' future at the Etihad, with the Dutch midfielder having struggled for game time in the second half of last season. van der Vaart was honest not only in his assessment of Reijnders' form but also on the arrival of Anderson, whom he compared to a former Premier League and England legend.

"When I watched Reijnders this season I didn't think he had his best season. It has been the same at the World Cup.

"When I have been watching Elliot Anderson play, I am always so impressed. I feel like I was looking at Steven Gerrard. It felt like he was the same player. The same style and power, also a little like Frank Lampard, but he was of course more of a goal scorer than Anderson is."

For Reijnders, the situation now looks complicated. van der Vaart believes the size of City's investment in Anderson all but guarantees minutes for the midfielder, though he also sees a clear difference in how the two midfielders could complement Enzo Maresca's side.

"To be honest, if Anderson is the kind of competition Reijnders will face, it might be better to leave. When they buy a player for so much money, they are always going to start him, that's how it is. At the same time, I believe Reijnders is another type of player, a little more dynamic and more of a vertical player than Anderson is. It will depend on how the new coach wants to play, do you choose for power and control or for dynamic and flow. It will be interesting to see what will happen."

The transfer market = gone mad?

City's British record fee for Anderson has left van der Vaart shaking his head at where the market has ended up. The Dutchman draws a hard line on which players are genuinely worth such vast numbers.

"You know, I don't want to sound like an old, frustrated football player, but come on. van Hecke, £60 million, all this money for Anderson now. To me it is crazy, nobody is worth so much money. Only Messi and Ronaldo."

"But for these kinds of players? No. To me it is ridiculous. I have to say that the Premier League blew up the market. At the same time, apparently that's the market right now so it will be the right market price."

Gordon's gamble at Barcelona

Anthony Gordon's move to Barcelona ahead of Marcus Rashford has been one of the more debated transfers of the summer, and van der Vaart admitted he has some reservations about how the winger will cope with the step up.

"I am a little bit worried about Anthony Gordon. I don't see the same confidence, but he is a good player. The thing is, when you go to Barcelona, everything is completely different. The pressure is immense and it is really difficult to handle."

There was praise, however, for an early decision Gordon made off the pitch, one that van der Vaart contrasted with a former Real Madrid teammate.

"I think he already learned Spanish which is very good for him and very uncommon for British players who usually don't learn the language. You know, I played with Bale and he is an example of someone who never learned the language when he moved to Spain."

"It’s a very smart decision of Gordon to learn the language. It is very important. In that way he has already shown the media and his teammates that he wants to be at Barcelona, and I hope he will perform. He has everything and I am a fan, but of course I am a bit worried."

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Bellingham was scoring without playing well, but has improved

Jude Bellingham's status as a modern-day number ten has been a point of contention among fans, with some questioning how best to use the midfielder at club and country level. The Dutchman, though, revealed a genuine shift in his own opinion of the Real Madrid midfielder.

"When I saw Bellingham the first year at Madrid I was not too impressed. He was never playing well even though he was scoring goals, but now it is different. Now he is playing better but scoring less goals. But his overall contribution to the team is better now. I love that he is always going all in. His work ethic is incredible and he is always so positive to his teammates. He is a true leader. He changed my perception of him."

That growth, in van der Vaart's eyes, has carried over onto the international stage as well.

"I am happy that he is performing for England now as well, because he has also been criticised when playing for England. The big players perform well on the big stage and he is doing that."

"Everybody likes him at Real Madrid because he is always giving everything. He is always fit and a big example for young players."

Should Kane stop dropping deep?

Harry Kane's tendency to drop into deeper midfield areas to collect the ball has frustrated some England fans. They want to see the Bayern Munich striker closer to goal, and van der Vaart believes Thomas Tuchel's side would benefit from reining the habit in.

"I definitely think Harry Kane is going too deep to get the ball too much. At Bayern Munich he doesn't do it that much, but they criticise him so much in England, so maybe he just wants to prove that he can do everything."

"Sometimes less is more and sometimes doing less is actually better. He should stay around the box and then play a bit like a number ten, but playing like a number six is not him. He is a number nine."

For van der Vaart, it ultimately comes down to a familiar pattern that elite players have to live with throughout their careers.

"But big players are always getting criticised. Just like Ronaldo. It is exactly the same for Harry Kane."

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