Trippier, Lloris, Bale, Shaquiri, Clarke

Transfer Talk: Trippier, Lloris, Bale, Shaquiri, Clarke

Napoli are trying to sell right-back Elseid Hysaj to make way for Kieran Trippier according to Italian news outlet Calciomercato.


Spanish sports newspaper AS reports that Real Madrid does not want to loan any players out this window, they want the money from sales of unwanted players like Gareth Bale and Dani Ceballos to help fund all the purchases they want as they look to rebuild the squad for Zinidine Zidane.

The Sat suggest Liverpool would sell Xherdan Shaquiri if the right offer came in. He has a history of not lasting at his clubs. Bayern Munich got rid of him and so did Inter Miln after a season.

According to the Sunday Mirror, Tottenham has been told to pay £20 million for 18-year-old (19 in November) Leeds United winger Jack Clarke. You will have seen in many places suggestions that Tottenham has bid £10 million.

What happens is, one club unofficially sounds out an agent who has a rough figure in mind of what his client is worth and another figure that might secure his services after discussing it with the club selling the player. Now when a club has no wish to sell that is a guesswork figure, as it hasn't been discussed.

A buying club has their own valuation of the player and what they want to pay. Transfer fees are not paid in one lump sum, but over the term of a contract, so if a player signs for 5 years, you pay 5 annual installments, the first being an agreed upfront figure.

The selling club wants the whole amount to be guaranteed, in other words without bonuses/performance-related add-ons, whereas the buying club would prefer as much as possible to be add-ons.

What can happen is, that some of the add-ons can be ones that are certain to be achieved. If you included an add-on that he turned up for work for a week, for instance, that would be guaranteed to happen, thus the selling club would be guaranteed that element of any add-ons fees.

Why do things that complicated way? Because of accountancy and tax implications for the financial year.

The figures you see quoted in the press can be with or without add-ins, usually, our press includes add-ons when they give a fee, which is not a true reflection of what is actually paid.

For instance, there might be a clause that a certain amount is paid if the club wins the UEFA Champions League, so until a club does while that player is at the club and within the years of the initial contract agreed, then that add-on is not payable.

Usually, the foreign press state transfer fees without add-ons so a discrepancy, especially for selling players from a Premier League club.

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