Real Madrid have signed Kaka for £56m, and there’s talk of them snapping up Cristiano Ronaldo for £75m; and suggestions that Real will have to pay Ronaldo himself £23m if they don’t sign him. Bizarre.

We’re told Roman Abramovich is willing to back his new manager with ‘trophy’ signings totalling £75m, which will put his investment in Chelsea in recent seasons to over £800m.

Manchester City too are trying to buy their way into the elite, their acquisition of Gareth Barry showing that ambition can always be bought out if the pay cheque is big enough.

And so the furore over the club’s accounts has led to predictable press comment that Liverpool are now unable to compete at the highest level.

Keith Harris, the guy unsuccessfully flogging Everton round the world, declares that Rafa’s transfer budget is bound to be hit as a result of the difficulty with refinancing the loan from RBS and Wachovia.

Go back to Orville, Keith, and keep your nose out of our business thanks very much.

Fans’ groups renew their call for RBS and Wachovia to call in their loans and force out the Americans.

Well, if you think these guys just run the club to make a profit, wait till you see how a bank regards the assets in a debt-laden business.

Fernando Torres would be out before you could say ‘fire-sale’.

And to top it all I heard several fans call for goal-line technology after the Cup final because there’s a ‘lot of money at stake’.

Perhaps we should dispense with naming trophies and just announce the winnings: the £10m League, the £5m Cup etc.

We can even change our anthem to ‘You’ll Never Bank Alone’.

And if you’re very quiet, you just might hear Bill Shankly spinning in his grave.