Times Sport editor John Hutchins offers his personal opinion on the events, topics and personalities in the world of sport.

IF there’s one thing that really annoys me (well, there’s a lot of things actually but this column isn’t long enough) it’s shopping. I’m in out of the supermarket before the till operator can say ‘Have a nice day’.

Which brings me to the January sales — not the one in the high street but the football transfer window. I must admit sometimes I wouldn’t mind throwing a proverbial brick through that particular ‘window’

Football is now, of course, big business and since satellite broadcasting has brought literally billions of pounds into the game the amounts of money being demanded — and paid — for footballers is beyond astronomical. Frankly some of the sums are obscene.

The British transfer record is currently a whopping £89,700,000 which Manchester United paid Italian club Juventus for the services of midfielder Paul Pogba (who ironically had left United on a ‘free’ transfer a couple of years previously). Whether one man’s ability to kick a ball (or opponents! ) is worth just under half the annual budget to run Derriford Hospital, is a debatable point.

Then we come to wages. It has been reported that the Chinese Super League are prepared to pay a top England footballer (yes England!) a staggering £800,000 a week — the same amount Manchester City is offering Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, it is claimed, should he be tempted to sign for them.

Football continued to shock me this week, though, with the news that Finley Burns was snapped up from Southend United £175,000 by Manchester City. Peanuts, I hear you cry by today’s standards — only thing is Finley is 13 years-old.

Which only leaves me to conclude on one final thought — when will we see the first £800,000 a week football agent. You must think — I lost my marbles — ‘it’s ridiculous, it couldn’t possibly happen!’ Don’t hold your breath.