Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that he is not concerned about the emergence of mega-rich clubs in Europe.
Teams such as Zenit St. Petersburg and Paris Saint-Germain, backed by wealthy benefactors, can now match the Spanish giants' spending power, but Mourinho believes that his team's legacy will continue to attract top players.
"Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich. These clubs are unique. The titles, European Cups, the history, the story, the fans... these things cannot be bought. The best players want to be with these teams," he told AS.
"These three I mentioned and a few others that have their cabinets full of almost hundreds of trophies. It still plays a role in players' decisions."
However, the former Chelsea boss acknowledged that the transfer market is changing, citing Axel Witsel and Hulk's recent move to Zenit as evidence.
"Right now the market is changing a lot," he added. "What happened with Hulk and Witsel, two of the best players in the Portuguese league, will be repeated within the next few years.
"But to get a big star to leave a historic, title-winning club will not be as easy. It's a new reality to which we have to adapt."
Zenit recently announced that they are in negotiations to sign Nani from Manchester United, while PSG have been linked with Chelsea's Ashley Cole.
Mark Langshaw
