Football Player Transfers: A Closer Look
Ronaldo: Unveiling after his historic move from Manchester United to Real Madrid.

Allsportspk continues its ongoing football coverage and this time we present our readers with a detailed piece on the mechanics behind player transfers between football clubs. This article serves the purpose of educating readers and simplifying the confusing world of transfers for them.

The process of transfer of players between teams in different sporting arenas has been the source of interest for many sports enthusiasts. The deals are crucial for the improvement and enhancement of the playing side. In different sports there are different ways to carry out this process. In the NBA, there are trades and the yearly free agent market. Similarly, cricket leagues such as IPL have auctions. 

Football also has its summer and winter transfer windows. Since football is the biggest sport in the world, these windows are a source of plenty of interest and speculation for both fans as well as the media. Transfers between big clubs fill up a lot column inches and several even turn into sagas.  

Very few people, however, are fully aware of this transfer process in detail. The general perception is that a bid is made, accepted and the deal is done subject to a medical as well as the agreement of personal terms. In reality, however, this process takes months, if not years in some cases. In this article, light will be shed on the basic process.  Some complexities involved in the transfer process will be covered later. 

Brazil's Neymar: Currently the most expensive player in the world
Brazil’s Neymar: Currently the most expensive player in the world

The first step in the process is scouting. No matter how well known or highly rated a player is, all the top clubs in the world always scout a talent before establishing a firm interest in him. This is a meticulous and thorough process. It takes a lot of effort and work. Scouts have to watch the player in person and study many aspects of his game along with his personality. If the scout is content, he will send the manager a positive report and ask for further instructions. Then, if the manager is impressed with what he reads, he gives the go ahead for further scouting. This tiring process leads to a final report in which the scout and manager assess whether the player would be a good addition. Once both of them agree to make an offer for the player, the second step starts.  

The second step is one which involves contact between the team interested in a particular player and his agent. If they have positive talks and the player is open to a move, dialogue is opened with the player’s present club. The negotiations include questions about the fee the player would be worth, any specific add-on payments and buy back clauses. Once this process is sorted out, the third step begins.  

This step involves agreement of wages with the player, discussions over his image rights and any commission fees for agents. This can prove to be a hurdle. For example, in the transfer of Paul Pogba from Juventus to Manchester United, his agent Mino Raiola’s demands for an agent fee caused the transfer to be held up for quite a while. Luckily for all parties involved, a resolution was reached and the deal went through. Once the contracts are finalized, the player has to go through a medical examination. This is the final piece of the puzzle and once it is in place, the deal is complete. The player is registered with the team and can play for them.  

From the first look at a player, to the moment an official announcement is made, the whole transfer is handled with extreme caution as even a small sticking point can make the whole deal collapse. These deals are extremely important for a club in more than one way. On the field, the deals can make the difference between success and failure in a season. Off the field, a big name transfer can have a massive effect on a club’s reach and its commercial success. Thus, the painstaking process needed to complete football transfers is absolutely necessary.  

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