It makes an interesting argument. But football has changed, and if we apply the law of diminihing returns here, it's going to look like an awfully bad business decision, because at 6m, we could've made a killing on this kid had he turned out to be the best thing since sliced bread, and even if he hadn't, we'd have a market for him. While it's not the 1m that's really in question, but the principle of the matter, I feel we as a team need to realise that talent comes at a price. It happens in all of pro sport, it happens in the corporate world and even in the movie industry. These businesses are highly inflated and everybody wants a piece of the pie. Milan paid 20m for Pato in similar circumstances if I'm not mistaken, we're willing to pay up to 5 times more to get Neymar here when the difference in skill may or mayn't be in proportion, also assuming neither have European club experience, so what's driving us to say let's snap Neymar up? Surely, a +-3 year gap can't be the defining factor. And what kind of salary would we be happy to give Neymar? Let's be realistic. We can't expect to prise away youth anymore the way we used to. Were Juventus, but our foundations aren't as solid as they used to be. Instead of paying 12m for an established, experienced Jorge Martinez (& Luca Toni types), i rather we spend half of that and pay a comparatively smaller salary to Piazon. So if we want to play good football, focus on youth and have a profitable model, then we've got to take risks like this. Coz if we don't, someone else will.
PS: It is an interesting argument on the whole, while I do think there is an ethical standing in what Marrotta says, I do feel, it's pointless as a stance given the condition of the big clubs in Europe. If this was 2006, we would've snapped him up, maybe on our terms too, but things have changed. We're at the back of the line, and need to attach the premium players want, to be a part of our 'project.'