One of the odd trends to emerge in European soccer in the past decade is the oligarch owner, the ultra-rich (usually oil-based) fan who decides that the ultimate status symbol would be to own a football club and fill it with the brightest stars he can find, regardless of financial prudence.
It is in this environment that a player like Cavani, who was admittedly prolific at Napoli but hardly a household name, can become one of the most expensive athletes in the world. When a bidding war breaks out among men to whom money is no object, there is no price ceiling...
