Paul Pogba's second stint at Manchester United was a huge disappointment. There is a time limit of 1:32. Losing a top player on a free transfer was once seen as pure mismanagement, a failure of planning, negotiation and foresight triggering ire. In October of last year, the club's then-newly installed director of football, Raul Sanllehi, drew a line in the sand because of the heavy criticism they received. He believes that a player's contract shouldn't go to the last year. I don't believe I'm inventing the wheel. Nobody could disagree on that. The contract of the players usually lasts five years. You need to know what you want to do with that player when he's in the third year. It's indicative of a trend that's only spread throughout the game in the intervening period, and that's the fact that after rejecting multiple contract offers to stay, Ramsey joined the Bianconeri for nothing the following summer. There was a record low of 30% decrease in transfers involving a fee in Europe's top five leagues over the course of the next two years, according to research. There was an increase in the number of free transfers during the same time frame. The majority of business in lower divisions has largely been comprised of such transactions as finances are more precarious and clubs survive on loans or signing unattached players. More high-profile free agents are now available at the top of the game. Lionel Messi and David Alaba were among the stars who moved last summer. Some of the players are able to negotiate on their own terms. Kylian Mbappe looked like he was going to join Real Madrid before changing his mind last month. The signing-on fee of 100 million and the yearly salary of 50 million are remarkable evidence of the strong negotiating position elite players can have. Sometimes players in this situation move clubs. Why is it occurring? James Olley and Tor-Kristian Karlsen are investigating. On the U.S. only, you can stream the daily edition of ESPN FC.
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The player power is still growing.
Long contracts used to be like gold dust for a football player. The security of a three- or four-year contract was a genuine aspiration for many players. A serious injury can ruin a player's life. Even though injuries are still a risk, players are less afraid of leaving themselves without a regular income because of the advances in sports science.
Their weekly wage is only one revenue stream for the top players, as image rights are more lucrative with players becoming brands in their own rights. The first player to reach 500 million followers on social media wasRonaldo, and he was more popular than all 20 clubs combined. There are many leading stars who have a bigger online following than the clubs they play for, and that financial clout offsets concerns about where their weekly wage is coming from while adding value to potential suitors.
Messi signed for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last summer in a deal worth £25 million net in wages per season. Sources close to the club say he has turned a profit for the club.
A factor that will allow him to choose between a number of high-profile clubs this summer is his popularity on social media.
The 1995 Bosman ruling freed players from regulations and allowed them to leave when their contracts ended. The European Court of Justice ruled 20 years ago that clubs didn't have to pay transfer fees after a player's contract expired. It was a free-for-all, suddenly.
The squad sizes are being reduced.
The effect of professional clubs wanting to operate a lean squad structure is one of the reasons for the surplus of out-of-contract players. There are signs that there's less appetite to keep players on a decent wage who don't get a lot of playing time.
With the financial blow from the Pandemic still being felt, cost-cutting measures are being implemented wherever possible, with contracts and player salaries the natural starting points.
Gab and Juls talk about reports linking Ousmane Dembele with a move to a German club.
The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Barcelona are an example of a club that has been affected by the Pandemic. Last summer and in January, Barcelona wanted to sign Ousmane Dembele for a fee in order to comply with LaLiga's spending cap.
Real Madrid wanted to move on Bale for a long time, but couldn't find a buyer for his wages. He's more likely to sign a short-term contract now that he's qualified for the World Cup, but his salary will be less than what he made in Madrid.
Dybala is on the verge of a free transfer to Inter Milan after it was reported that he had agreed to a new deal with the Bianconeri.
An absence of European football led to a reduction in the number of players for the second half of last season. In the final years of their contracts, the club made decisions about what European competition they would be in next season. Lacazette and Nketiah are both expected to sign new deals before the end of the month.
Seven first XI players have been released by the club. According to sources, the decision was made to save money in the long run, and other clubs could follow suit.
Don't focus on older players.
A growing reluctance among clubs to offer contracts to "journeymen" players older than 26 is one of the clearest developments that has emerged.
The general trend is to reserve slots for clubs' own academy products, or even to pay substantial transfer fees for teenagers or players in their early 20's, at the expense of more established rotation players. Many older players who are just squad players are forced to accept lower terms or face the struggle of finding a contract somewhere else.
The football world is not stable.
The leading clubs from Russia and Ukraine have been a factor in the international transfer market for decades. Due to the ongoing war and China's recent big spending spree, several relatively active markets have suddenly disappeared.
Income which was taken for granted to trickle down is no longer available as this is further down the food chain.
Family representation has grown over time.
Some people think agent fees are a good way to make money. A proliferation of "Intermediaries" and families taking representations of their loved ones in-house can be traced back to the deregulation of the agent industry.
Messi and Neymar have been looked after by their fathers but their reputations are so high that negotiations have been weighted in their favor for years. There has been a growth in family representation at a less stellar level.
It's complex to transfer. A high level of legal knowledge is needed to ensure that a contract is tailored for all parties. A simple negotiation to stay at a club is simpler than a free transfer. The lure of taking a more difficult path to financial remuneration has obvious appeal for some.
There are exceptional circumstances.
This summer, some situations feel different. Christian was wondering what standard of life he would have had he survived the cardiac arrest he suffered while playing for the Danes. There is a lot of competition for the signature of the 30-year-old who made a stunning recovery. Given the uncertainty over his ability to still play at the top level, the initial six-month contract he signed with Brentford was understandable, and now he looks set to continue his remarkable comeback into next season and beyond.
Although there were elements of more traditional contract issues, the club were hampered in their efforts to keep the pair because of the U.K. government's sanctions against Roman Abramovich.
The Blues couldn't enter into contract talks with any existing players because of a special licence. The two men accepted terms with Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.
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