No, but it might suggest there is more to the story in a good way, less risk and more potential reward.
If true it means that VVV Venlo signing Haji isn't quite the vote of confidence that it seemed BUT it doesn't change the fact that Wright gets to spend the year in a development-focused league and has a real chance to put himself in the shop window either for a contract extension (or perhaps more likely if VVV can't truly afford him) a move to another decent club.
What was he making at Schalke? If he had time on his contract and if they really saw no $ in him, maybe they goosed it? Can't imagine he was making enough to make it a big goose, but... Or, Wright has gotten a Euro passport somehow. (or he's year or two younger than we think...) Or VVV just decided to take a calculated risk. Strikers who can score are not that easy to come by for under 500k even if they have Euro passports (I admit this one seems least likely, but those really are the 3 basic options: Schalke kicked in somehow. He has Euro PP (or is about to get one) or is younger and thus can be paid less. VVV sees this as a worthwhile gamble that could be made up with future fees.
Sebastian Haller's career in France was going downwards as a young talent. So when he got the chance to move to the Eredivisie, he grabbed it with both hands. He completely blossomed up, so much papers were writing about him in France about his rebirth. scored 41 goals in 82 matches. It got him a transfer to the BuLi and proved himself there too. Now he's on his way to the epl with a 40 million price tag! So from failure to a 40 million transfer after his career resurrection at FC Utrecht. He's so gratefull about that opportunity FC Utrecht is in his heart now. Lessons to be learned from that by Haji!
Not doubting you, but you have a source for this? If it's true, then we have a loophole that's functionally indistinguishable from a season-long loan. Schalke would have told his agent that they'd pay the customary 50% of the remainder of his contract in installments regardless. The agent then shopped him around, with Venlo being the one that bought: they pay 218,000 euros a year, and the agent sets up a special-purpose vehicle to channel Schalke's payments through to Venlo, or Schalke simply re-route the payments to them. If @feyenoordsoccerfan is right, Venlo's themselves are the hook for only 218k or abut 4-5% of their player wage budget. It's a manageable loss for them if he's a bust and a big win if he proves to be even bottom-half of Eredivisie standard.
Nope, but it's the same thing with epl players being loaned to Eredivisie clubs like EPB. The point of that minimum wage is to prevent an influx of inferiour players that constipate our clubs in detriment of our talents. So if there's a quality player that gets payed at least the minimum wage, it serves its purpose to only let in quality, or in young players potential quality.
However we're all speculating on what VVV does. They're also renovating their stadium at a cost of over 6 million €€ in steps. It started around 2018 iirc.
It would really depend on what Wright was making at Schalke, I'd think. If he was making 400+ at Schalke, 50% might be reasonable, but if he was making less, do they really need to get that much off the books? And, of course, it depends if they get a % of sell-on. Absent some numbers, we can figure VVV is probably paying between 200k - Full fare for Wright - unless there's a passport someplace. Still a good bit of change for them. I hope he pans out.
It'd be the minimum in the EPL but it's highly unlikely someone with his profile could have negotiated that, even at one of the BL's wealthiest clubs. That suggests that Haji or his backers are using his severance from Schalke to pick up part of the tab and Venlo more than 50% of 436k. Anyway, this topic is done to death and it's time to move on. My thanks to you and @feyenoordsoccerfan for your insight
I don't disagree at all that it's likely there's some "help" from Schalke. I just don't think we have enough info to know how much. My guess is Schalke thinks Haji can still have a career and has a piece of any eventual transfer, he's just not a project Schalke wants to put more time into and they think it requires more than the time left. And whether they are paying 250k or 425k VVV is for sure gambling on the same thing.
Transfermarkt has it marked as a "Free Transfer," not as a loan. https://www.transfermarkt.com/haji-wright/profil/spieler/315291 The German press also calls it a "transfer agreement" (Transfervereinbarung) so it's not a loan: https://www.bundesliga.com/de/bunde...4-haji-wright-transfer-wechsel-vvv-venlo-5551 Since it's not a loan, why would Schalke pay part of his wages? He has nothing to do with them any more, beyond some possible future-transfer percent clause.
Because they're paying him less now than they would have had he remained at Schalke this season. This sort of thing happens all the time. Player X makes, say, $500,000 at Club A. Club A doesn't want him, Club B does. Club B can only afford to pay Player X $300,000, and Player X won't take a pay cut. So, Club A agrees to pay $200,000 and saves $300,000, while Club B only has to pay $300,000 for a $500,000 player. Everyone wins.
Because he had a contract? I have no idea the terms, but if Wright could have held Schalke to x amount of pay, and in exchange for him tearing that up they pay VVV X it could be a net-gain for Schalke and Wright. (Arsenalmetro beat me to it.) No idea if this is the case, but it does happen.
Well, it's a lot better than languishing in the Oberliga. Guess Schalke wanted him gone, not expecting to ever get the bang for the buck from him.
they wouldn't hve included a buy back option in the deal if they had written him and his chances off completely. I think this deal works for all parties, even Schalke.... they know he needs minutes and the Eredivisie is just about as good as it could get for Wright. way better than monior leagues in Germany....and if he does well...they can bring him back. I don't see any downside at all to this deal....
The buy-back clause has been reported only by ESPN. I don't have any reason to trust it beyond the level of rumor. Also, where are people getting the info about Schalke paying part of his salary with Venlo? I can't find anything about it.
It's complete speculation by us on this thread, because if Wright doesn't have a Euro PP the non-EU minimum is a fairly hefty paycheck for them for an pretty untested player. I don't think anyone has claimed it is true, just one of the ways that VVV could make this deal make sense. Generally very hard for small-market Ered teams to pay that kind of salary without help from a "mother club." But there are other possibilities - as a few of us noted above. He may have or be about to get a Euro passport. VVV may just really believe in him a lot. Or he may be younger than we all think...