Only time will tell whether Rio Ferdinand proves money well spent or the worst-value export from Peckham since Trotters Independent Trading ceased business, but the new Leeds United No 29 has already done enough in his short career to show, as Del Boy might say, that he is a diamond geezer.
After a week of tortuous negotiations with both Leeds and West Ham, then the most delicate talks of all with his family, the world's most expensive defender finally checked into Elland Road yesterday having put the finishing touches to an £18 million move from West Ham.
"We've got a bargain," said the beaming Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale.
So the deal is done, although there are a good few who reckon Leeds have been, too. Ferdinand made all the right noises yesterday and, if he handles his price tag as he handled his news conference, Ridsdale's statement will doubtless ring true.
"The price doesn't bother me a bit," Ferdinand volunteered. "It's probably more of a dilemma to you lot [the press] than me. All I'm concerned about is playing well and I will leave the figures to the money men.
"If I'm honest, the hardest thing was leaving London. But it's only a flight, car ride or train journey home and this is too good an opportunity to miss."
After Ferdinand witnessed Leeds scrap their way to a 1-0 win over Arsenal, manager David O'Leary refused to say where he planned to play his new £18 million man. "It is a lovely choice to have," he said. "We want a bigger squad. I don't set the figure on players, I try to recommend the players I want. "I recommend people who will hopefully be here for many years to come, but as far as I am concerned the transfer value and the wages are obscene. I don't think anybody is worth £18 million.
"But I am the coach and I am buying quality and he is a player hopefully I can improve. If we are going to reach the next stage then we've got to buy quality people."
Asked when there might be more signings, O'Leary said: "I'd like to have them in the next few weeks but we have to be patient. It is nice to get the person we want."
Anyone who has accused Ferdinand of showing more loyalty to his bank balance than the club that nurtured his talents will be interested to learn the 22-year-old has written off a significant sum in owed money from West Ham.
Nevertheless his advisers have still negotiated a severance fee of £200,000 to top up the £9 million he will earn from Leeds over the next five-and-a-half years. Harry Redknapp says the grass is no greener in West Yorkshire than the East End. But the money certainly is.
