If this happens again it will be a serious problem for Liverpool .. I mean we sign/develop young players with the expectation of obviously having good players on the team but also as investments as these players can bring in big money when transferred out. However if clubs like RM can convince guys like Trent and Konate to run down their deals and walk away for free that will rewsult in the loss of millions to the club.
Not that it’ll do any good in the TAA situation and maybe not even in the Konate one either if the rumors are legitimate, but if it does keep happening in the world of football transfers, I think we’ll see some sort of club protection. Expanded or granular definition of tapping up with serious consequences, perhaps something like only 1, 2, 3 players to go from Club A to B via contract rundown every 3 years, or somesuch. Because 95% of clubs are not going to be happy with their best talent walking out the door in such a fashion. There’s no way a player runs down his contract to leave to a “better” club on a free, but that he hasn’t been made aware what terms the “better” club will offer for saving them a transfer fee. Tapping up, in other words.
I was starting to think about what kind of protection clubs could add in to contracts. problem is any attempt to limit movement will have players screaming like stuck pigs with "slavery" getting thrown around in a heartbeat. RM have obviously targeted this as a key part of their recruitment - not sure (m)any other clubs are doing it? yet, of course. these days "tapping up" seems like a very quaint notion. you never hear it mentioned at all.
Other than clubs protecting their assets by securing lengthier contracts(not sure even that is legal either) I don't see a solution to this. As it stands now there is certainly a big potential signing on fee incentive for some players to run down their deals and walk away.
I wonder what would happen if someone challenged this policy of 'buying' players in court? Does any other profession do this other than football?
It’s a complete anachronism to have transfer fees, and it puts a massive conflict of interest into football because the agents then start getting a cut and they act for themselves, the club and player when negotiating. Players should get salary and should pay their agents and advisers out of that, as is the case with pretty much every other profession.
There is another side to this I’d forgotten. Firstly, there’s nothing the clubs can implement that contravenes EU law. Yeah, Brexit, South America and all that, but if you’re playing for an EU club or going to an EU club, then EU law, simple as. Secondly, and this is where things could get mighty interesting. Let’s use TAA as the example here. I’m not saying that any of the following happened, but let’s pretend! So, once upon a time… Anyway, supremely talented players such as TAA are going to know that their services will always be in demand when they’re at the peak of their powers. So it is possible that he knew there were 3 or 4 clubs only that he could go to. So he (and his agent) decided, absent any tapping up, that he’d be a more attractive proposition out of contract without a transfer fee. So without any coordination with Real, he, and he alone decided to run down his contract as a come hither to Real. In this scenario, no tapping up. But how long will/would it be before TAA decides to run down his contract and Real then offer him a dog’s dinner of a contract on a take it or leave it basis? We know you’ve burnt bridges at Liverpool, you won’t go to a PL club and Barca and Bayern don’t have the wedge to sign you. So here’s your £4.56 signing on fee and you’re required to sweep the terraces after the games to get your pay packet. Plus not every player looking to free transfer out of a club can legitimately expect that he’ll get a better offer from other clubs, this type of move would be available to the elite players only. I could also see the clubs (illegally) conspiring to ensure that these types of free agents are lowballed by all suitors. Introducing protection for the clubs to avoid McManaman/TAA type situations is far from an easy task. Certainly harder than I initially proposed above.
Any direct contact of that manner with the player / agent is prime tapping up and cause for suit. Ibou has apparently asked for ~300k/wk. He has us over a barrel, we kinda have to pay it.
Twenty years ago, you wanted a player, you called their club first. Now you call their agent, who acts as the middleman and takes a fee from all sides (buyer/seller/player) for it. UEFA should outlaw clubs paying fees to agents and force the first conversations to be between clubs rather than agents.
I’m not surprised. According to Wenger, that’s Real Madrid’s MO— approach a player who’s got a couple of years or so left on his contract and encourage him to run it down and leave on a free. It then spends the money saved on some of South America’s finest youngsters. .
There are ways we can improve 1) Carrot: Offer improved contracts much sooner. We've dragged our heels on a lot of renewals the last few years. Offer reasonable release clauses for players. 2) Stick: Offer renewed contracts with 2 years remaining. If they don't sign by the winter transfer then bench for the final season and a half and put them on the transfer list. Most players of Trent and Konate's calibre are not going to risk riding the bench for a year and losing their national place. And clubs like Real and Barca are going to lose some interest in players willing to not play for a year. However, a lot of owners would prefer not to take the financial hit both of these options have and take the risk.
Richard Hughes is set to raid Bayer Leverkusen a second time by agreeing the free transfer of defender Jonathan Tah. Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak would be intrigued by the prospect of joining Liverpool this summer, but there are no indications he would actively push for a move, BBC journalist Sami Mokbel has revealed. Liverpool boss Arne Slot “isn’t happy” with his options in attack and is looking to improve the Reds squad with two new forwards, according to reports, with Rodrygo at the top of the list. Arne Slot will look to sign Jarrad Branthwaite as he makes this Liverpool squad his own. Leeds United are considering a summer move for Liverpool defender Kostas Tsimikas. Liverpool have lined up Ajax star Jorrel Hato as the ideal alternative option to Dean Huijsen this summer, journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed. A report from The Mail reveals Frimpong is not the only Dutch defender on Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes' shortlist - Liverpool may also look at bringing in RB Leipzig defender Lutsharel Geertruida. Eberechi Eze, who has a £60m release clause in his contract, is a target for English top-flight clubs Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa
I'd say to Konate you've got three options: Take a 6 year contract @ 300k/wk with no release clause or Take a 4 year contract @ 200k/wk with an 80m release clause or Take a 3 year contract @ 125k/wk with a 50m release clause
Liverpool expect Florian Wirtz to stay at Bayer Leverkusen or join Bayern Munich but will make an approach if the 22-year-old Germany attacking midfielder wants to leave the Bundesliga. (Times - subscription required)
I don't disagree, but the Liverpoool board are not going to do option 1 and possibly not option 2 for a player with Konate's fitness record. If he plays 1 more game for Liverpool this will be the first ever season in his career he's played 30 or more league games. Konate's agent is ********ing around with his career though by holding out for the big signing on fee he'd get next summer as with his injury record the best thing for Konate is the security of a long term contract. If he has a season like he has this year then Real and PSG will be hugely generous but if he has a season like his first two then the contract offers will both be shorter and lower. Whether he stays or goes this is the summer to sign a new contract as this has been his best year in terms of both fitness and performance.
the Wirtz rumours are getting to a tipping point now imo - and by that I mean they are so breathless and "gonna happen soon!" they are starting to remind me of the many many times our expectations have been managed to the sky .... and ending up in tatters. hope I'm wrong of course. but it's easy to forget (even though it happens 19 times out of 20!) how many of these headlines are pure echo-chamber crap. sigh .....
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool have opened contacts with Sporting Lisbon regarding the potential transfer of Viktor Gyokeres, though Arsenal are favourites in the race.