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There’s very little dispute, if any at all, that football is the most popular sport in the world. When it comes to popularity, most other sports are playing for second.
In the past, FIFA has reported that there are at least five billion football fans around the world. The federation has also reported that in December 2022, almost 1.5 billion people around the world caught the World Cup final between Argentina and France, and that data suggested approximately five billion peopleengaged with the Qatar 2022 tournament in some form around the world.
Of course, when not on international duty, players work their magic for their clubs and, when they contract expires, can move to a new club or renew their existing one. Below is a look at why transfers happen in football and at the business side of transfers.
Transfers and the football fans
Transfers are a common and crucial part of football. Clubs want to build the best squad possible so the players will achieve glory for the club and for the fans. A transfer is a way to do this. It can also be a way of meeting a financial need of the club.
The popularity of football means that transfers are also popular. There are specific football betting markets for transfers, with fans able to speculate on where certain players will end up. Football fans, in general, love transfers. This is largely due to their team being able to acquire players who could help their team bring home some silverware, as well as give them something to talk about. Fans love to find out about transfers on the official social media account of their club via a ‘big reveal’ from the club itself.
The business of football transfers
The transfer of a player from one club to another is a business transaction. The clubs must agree terms and conditions for the sale. The club that is buying the player must agree a contract with the player they wish to sign. If a player is still under contract, the club that wants to buy them must pay compensation, which, in the business, is called a ‘transfer fee’.
Clubs can’t just buy or sell players whenever they like, however. They must do so within the transfer windows, the official periods for conducting transfers, and in line with the rules and regulations of FIFA. The federation implements its rules and regulations to ensure a fair, equitable transfer process. These rules and regulations also protect the rights of the players and the clubs involved in the transfer.
Negotiating the transfer
As much as a player or a club might like for the process to be a quick one where a price is named and accepted and the player just has to sign, it’s not as straightforward as that. Transfers involve big sums of money and there’s lots to negotiate. As well as any transfer fees, the clubs must negotiate other clauses, including any sell-on fees and other financial issues.
The club buying a player must also negotiate with the player their salary, the length of the contract, bonuses and more. The club is likely to also demand the image rights so it can make money from how the player appears in advertisements and publicity. However, players don’t like to forfeit opportunities to earn extra revenue and the two parties must negotiate a deal. Often, they agree a 50-50 split.
During a transfer process, the player’s agent is crucial. The agent represents the player and will help them to negotiate wages, terms and conditions and more. Normally, they’ll take a percentage of their client’s salary as a fee. Sometimes, they’ll also demand a bonus for their role in transfers.
Not all transfers cost eye-watering sums of money
It’s possible for players to move to a club without any transfer fees being exchanged between the clubs. If a club wants to save money on buying a player, they can wait until the player’s contract is expiring or has expired before purchasing the player on a free transfer. A player can negotiate with a club when they have just six months left on their contract.
If a player wants to move clubs, they must make a formal transfer request. If the club wishes to keep their player and rejects these formal appeals, the player might defy the club and go ahead with the transfer request regardless. A transfer request is something of a plea to the club and also a public statement of their dissatisfaction with their situation.
Football transfers are exciting for fans and for their clubs, the latter making a massive investment in a quest for sporting glory. Transfers are business transactions, however, and must comply with certain rules and regulations before players can sign on the dotted line and play for their new clubs.
