How do clubs sell players?

Try The Athletic for FREE for 30 days: theathletic.co...
Over a billion pounds was spent in the Premier League transfer window this summer (2021). Many players got their moves, but many players did not. Many players will be left out of their club’s plans, and as Phil Hay explains may even be deprived of access to facilities.
So how does a club sell a player? And is it always a painful separation?
Illustrated by Craig Silcock
Follow Tifo Football:
Twitter: / tifofootball_
Facebook: / tifofootball
Instagram: / tifofootball_
Listen to the Tifo Football podcast:
The Athletic UK: bit.ly/TifoPodC...
Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/TifoFootPod
Spotify: open.spotify.c...
Watch more Tifo Football: Tactics Explained: • Tactics Explained | Ti...
Finances & Laws: • Finances & Laws | Tifo...
Tifo Football Podcast: • Tifo Football Podcast
Most Recent Videos: • Most Recent Videos | T...
1 Popular Videos: • Popular Videos | Tifo ...
About Tifo Football:
Tifo loves football. We create In-depth tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of the beautiful game.
We know there’s an appetite for thoughtful, intelligent content. For stuff that makes the complicated simple.
We provide analysis on the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, World Cup and more.
Our podcasts interview some of the game’s leading figures. And our editorial covers football with depth and insight.
Founded in 2017 and became a part of The Athletic in 2020. For business inquiries, reach out to [e-mail].
Music sourced from epidemicsound.com
Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com
#Transfers #TransferWindow #EPL

[@taufiqutomo]

Agent: "The fee needs to start with a 3" Me: £3.99, take it or leave it.

[@joshbrown2217]

Are you employed by Arsenal by any chance

[@seanyd1235]

Tree fiddy

[@dajag6846]

@@joshbrown2217 Arsenal: £3.01

[@gonufc]

I always wondered if I could scrape together enough money to just buy a peripheral professional footballer if I somehow won a fictional auction as a child. I think I might have snapped up Nikos Dabizas or maybe an aging Jason Roberts- both under-rated to my astute young scouting mind. I would've kept them in the shed for whenever I wanted a kickabout.

[@tradgroyper3806]

@@gonufc i think thats called human trafficking

[@DTrugg0]

Interesting seeing all these tactics when a club wants rid a of a player, yet when a player wants to leave and they employ similar methods they get called a Judas and they signed a contract...🤔

[@VileCAESARB]

That's exactly what I was thinking, this new peasant and knight of realm type outlook from common people... told what to like and not. Those tactics from clubs are pure c**tery.

[@KindredBrujah]

@@VileCAESARB It smacks of constructive dismissal, which is definitely illegal. The employee doesn't wish to leave, so the employer makes their life unbearable until they choose to leave of their own accord.

[@BigPurp9]

For real that’s why I don’t feel any way towards players who ask to leave cos I know the club has 100% treated players the didn’t want even worse.

[@bens4602]

@@KindredBrujah it definitely should be illegal. But it happens all the time. Happened to all of us most likely.

[@i0ushephf]

@@bens4602 it is illegal in many places in the world but it's also insanely hard to prove.

[@randisallah]

The most extreme case of a player who didn't want to go I know of would probably be Winston Bogarde, he signed for Chelsea FC about 20 years ago. When he signed I remember he was a decent squad player, never amazing, but never terrible. He'd also had some bad injuries and then Chelsea came along, offered a ridiculous amount of money a week. He was already 30, played a couple of times for the first team and they were constantly trying to kick him out. In the end I believe he came out and said "I came here for the money, so why would I leave?" He trained with the kids, showed up everyday and did whatever he was told. The complete professional footballer, his contract then ran out. He said good bye, thanks for the money and promptly retired. He was honest, professional, probably one of the worst Premier League signings in history, but he didn't care. He just took his money and ran.

[@itaachiii]

wait so if they asked a player to go down and train and live with the B team, but he refused and attended the first teams sessions... what can they do?? force him out the trainings or cancel his id?

[@sl3848]

@@itaachiii I reckon it would be trespassing or harassment. Not really any different from somebody insisting on being in a part of their work office they aren’t authorized to be in

[@speakfrombeatz]

Oh wow 😂

[@shreyanshpoddar302]

Why did he even show up for training. Is it a necessity to stay at the club ?

[@muhdpeep]

@@shreyanshpoddar302 money

[@FootballDrawn]

I think Barcelona should be a brilliant case study on the points of this video. How they courted Dembele and Coutinho, to how they try to get rid of dead-wood, and what can we learn from these case studies. Brilliant video, as always ⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽

[@moumenrezaei1330]

I'd be curious what really goes on in that club. If only we had an All Or Nothing: Barcelona 😀

[@7bucksnutrition303]

indeed

[@footballheritage942]

@@moumenrezaei1330 too late for that. A lot has changed since Laporta came in

[@wilfordcolbert1333]

Barcelona is a case study for everything good and bad done in a football club 😂😂

[@moumenrezaei1330]

@@footballheritage942 lol...ofcourse...but we could only wish

[@gbrl433]

haha the realistic aspect of removing from first team is a little different than dropping into u23 in FM. hits a little different with all the amenities removed

[@Roscododger]

I felt bad about doing this to players in FM but now that I've watched this I'm getting brutal. This stagnating 29 year old is going

[@rooneye]

hahahahahah IKR

[@sizwe.amabaso732]

These info videos by Tifo always end when they're still interesting

[@melvinkachere8782]

Could we possibly have another video like this on this topic please? This was very interesting, but I'd like other examples of the transfer process (e.g. like the Buendia one)

[@bilalahmedshariff5576]

Agreed, same

[@SujoyChakravarthi93]

4:08 - I swear I was fully prepared to hear "An Arsenal Bid of 30 million + 1 pound" 😂

[@damola816]

4:41 was so good. The Arsenal director's drawing matched perfectly the visualization of how startled he would have been irl.😂💯 Excellent graphics, and informative description of behind-the-scenes events like Buendia's move

[@justme-hh4vp]

Sounds like Norwich could've got more for Buendia

[@javierm7087]

If they waited enough, sure, they could have got 40 millions for Buendía. But the later you sell the players, the more difficult and expensive becomes to replace them, especially if another club signs what you expected to be the replacement. In this case, if they had waited untill August to sell Buendía, Millot Rashica could have been signed by another team.

[@JohnDoe-dn9ez]

Gareth Bale couldn't care less about his parking lot at Bernabeu... He'd be wearing the real U19 jersey while playing golf

[@GutzOverFear]

3:48 Seeing that image made me wonder what it would look like if Norwich won the PL and the trophy had yellow and green ribbons. Fantasy stuff.

[@miloudbouchefra200]

Not in a million year.

[@josephnormyle28]

@@miloudbouchefra200 I mean, surely not for atleast 5-10 years. But Manchester City was a division two team once and Leichester is an example of nothing being off the cards. So you never know. It is exceptionally unlikely thought.

[@miloudbouchefra200]

@@josephnormyle28 Both Man City and Leister City were backed by huge sums of money, so unless this team gets the same funding, you can't wish for much.

[@ruan13o]

Can a player sue a club for all those tactics (e.g. sent to the academy, made to eat in a different place/time, etc)? That sounds like work place bullying to me. I know it's sometimes hard to be sympathetic to someone who is earning millions but that's still not right really is it?

[@nikeschuh2049]

I don't how any of this business work, but maybe there is something about that in the contract papers, just maybe

[@ahnafdrubo9727]

they are still getting paid so

[@eva00r]

No they can't. They are not 'employees'. Contract work both ways.

[@finding_aether]

Ben Arfa tried suing PSG😀

[@filipposcotti897]

@@eva00r every working contract works both ways, the employee’s one as the footballer’s . If the club doesn’t respect contract terms surely the player is able ti experience some kind of legal actions,at least he can terminate the contract

[@AS-mw6pw]

2:49 that’s the champions league trophy not the championship trophy

[@ourresidentcockney8776]

"Finesse" because Tifo can't say increasing levels of bastardry.

[@supingo3339]

Wdym?

[@ahnafdrubo9727]

tifo irl could've

[@diulikadikaday]

Amazing examples. I would love to hear more stories like Buendia's from Tifo. For example, Harry Redknapp always has a good story if you watch interviews. Would love to hear more about the ins and outs of real players. On a related topic, why didn't Norwich want to make it an auction? I would have expected Buendia to prefer Arsenal and Norwich could have gotten more money.

[@timeluster]

Arsenal's Richard Garlick has such bad breath, you'd have to take his first offer or not at all.

[@Jansk1h]

Maybe to make sure that the transfer would go through and to have good relations with the club going forwards

[@geewong4801]

Thing is they're just stories. There's hardly any truth to much of what that man says.

[@thegreathadoken6808]

They click on their name, go to Transfer Status, select Transfer-List in the drop down menu in the next screen then click Apply. Then they wait. For ages. Sometimes lowering the asking price begets a quicker offer from someone gullible enough to put a bid in.

[@markotv6761]

Remind me of fm for some reason

[@SaintErik]

Perhaps clubs and players should honour the contracts instead of being put in the academy and shut out of participating in senior team activities. It's awful really.

[@BucketsGaming23]

In an ideal world this probably would be the case. However sometimes the club's really need the cash for a sale and shutting players out is an easy way to get them to leave fast

[@somethinglikethat2176]

​@@BucketsGaming23 all fun and games until the player takes the case to court.

[@BucketsGaming23]

@@somethinglikethat2176 this is like standard procedure and happens a lot more than you would think

[@dontwannaname]

I'm surprised that clubs are allowed to treat players who do not want to leave in such a manner and aren't sued. If the player is not in breach of contract or committed something that should result in disciplinary action, the level of ostracism reeks of constructive dismissal

[@1886Joel]

In switzerland there were court cases and i think the players often won.

[@molybdomancer195]

I also think it’s not good to exposure the academy players to that either.

[@LewisSkinner]

That thumbnail though 🤔

[@omo2786]

This kind of stuff when clubs want to sell players is why I find it ironic when fans demand players show loyalty especially to clubs they have absolutely no connection with. These clubs are ruthless when the time comes so the players should always look out for their own and their families best interests not the club and the fans.

[@kwazilucas]

Treating a player that bad because you want them to leave is abusive.

[@r3zaful]

You meant drinkwater? He deserve it

[@MF-fo4nn]

@@r3zaful clown

[@BigPurp9]

It’s like how Barcelona fans are abusing all of their overpaid players who don’t want to leave. It’s not their fault they were offered stupid wages

[@finding_aether]

@@r3zaful one day when it will happen to you and your boss bullies you. See how you like it.

[@bens4602]

It doesn’t just happen to footballers

[@balham5606]

0:20 what happens if it goes wrong peter odemwingie example for that 😂

[@justme-hh4vp]

I'm in the car park, so sign me maybe?

[@blackfalcon1324]

This video makes me completely rethink how I have treated some unwanted players in my FM saves :(

[@Dubfender]

Who is the championship player then?

[@booshyUK]

My guess is Carl Jenkinson at Forest

[@zhuoranli4576]

So, Transfer Room is like a LinkedIn for players?

[@thecrazyjamman]

For Jordan Henderson, Linkedin is Linkedin for players

[@tyrese.a3715]

The bad blood animation was a nice touch.

[@un4175]

Double standards of fans and media when a Star player wants to leave vs when the club is forcing a player out.

[@GoldenFlare26]

Amazing content like always

[@Rushfelt33]

Tifo are probably baiting us here but my god I have bitten! Premier League to the Championship.. but the Champs League trophy.

[@bilalahmedshariff5576]

Yeah

[@VileCAESARB]

What do you mean?

[@Rushfelt33]

@@VileCAESARB 02:48 -

[@natalkumar6132]

2:23 Donny Van De Beek

[@sdes2841]

Another example of workplace practices in football clubs that would be wholly unacceptable in any other context. Taking away access to facilities and isolation is bullying.

[@insandouts9617]

Hey tifo! I want to know more about the other softwares clubs pay for.

[@MrLuger-jp9kd]

Do a behind-the-scenes of a transfer. What paperwork formalities and preperation need to be done

[@muhammedgamal5871]

Now we need a new video about the same topic, it's very interesting one

[@mfundonkosi6927]

Mikel Arteta and Edu taking notes like... 👀✍🏻📝👍🏻

[@hegeliandianetik2009]

Every big club has struggled to sell players this season, but weird to only focus on Arsenal

[@darkerarcher179]

"Championship" *uses Champions League trophy*

[@beastTime999]

Tifo football my number #1

[@securethebag-thesportingpo3965]

I do wonder how the transfer market and the methods for advertising a player to others will be affected by the declining finances of Chinese football. Just a few years ago, Chinese money was on opportunity for a club to sell a player for a profit that no one else was willing to offer. With such an option, it wasn't necessary to give players as much exposure or put them in the shop window. Now, with Chinese football finances being restricted, its no longer so easy to find a big wages move for older players a coach is seeking to move on. Tactics and strategies will have to change.

[@AdarshKumar-nj7rp]

Does anyone know about THAT Championship player who is refusing to leave?

[@Allwin-lz6yj]

Adam Johnson

[@AdarshKumar-nj7rp]

Current player. Johnson hasn't played since 2016 plus Sunderland is now in League One.

[@ellisking8542]

Lee Tomlin at Cardiff City

[@shanewright2772]

The canteen menu looks enticing

[@garthvader9916]

Heard that Spurs were "desperate" to offload someone - Aurier I *think* ... Knowing that about the powers that be at your club must do wonders for your motivation. 😬🙄

[@ChloeSaidHi]

2:53 From the Premier League to the Championship shows Champions League trophy, which championship clubs can't win

[@antti11]

Nitpicking here, but they can win CL by winning the Europa League in which they can qualify through League and FA cup

[@Asperiini1]

You should do a video about Marotta's and Ausilio's tactics in transfer window. Those two are simply one of the best at the job in the world. Hakan free, Eriksen, barella, Lukaku, hakimi, etc etc.

[@nmkcomps]

Really worked for naingollan and perisic

[@martynholmes2544]

Sounds like Harry arter. The player they are talking about at forest that championship player on 38k a week barely kicked a ball 3 year deal for. A 31 year old and cost 5.1 million pounds to buy was not given a squad number and sent to train with the kids now on loan at charlton with forest playing most of his wages

[@NewMikeify]

Are we really say Arsenal were serious about Buendia when they got Odegaard for similar price later on. Who in their right mind would pick Buendia over him?

[@thehappyloaf]

Ozil disliked this 9 times having flashbacks.

[@sudonomahadika1694]

Best football channel ever

[@untitled8450]

1:33 thats when most pros leave the club for somewhere better

[@Jetherlapo98]

you guys talking about Danny Rose?

[@AzureSkyes]

Very enlightening 👏

[@fhjunior6183]

Thanks for the vid

[@lonestarr1490]

So, let's see, what's on the ManU today... Westhamburger, Tottenham Hotpot, and--oh! my favorite: Aston Vanilla ice-cream.

[@thomasclaxton3988]

F

[@GodMcQueen]

*This is great content.*

[@shahrulyusryroslan5826]

Would like to see the bts of the Manchester Derby transfer. Sanchez, Maguire, Fred and Ronaldo

[@VileCAESARB]

Bts?

[@Velvet_Thunder_AW]

Love to see a vid on marina granovskaia and her work at chelsea

[@Tifo]

We have one! kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6aZi4dtaKmfl5Y

[@jo_magpie]

contracts, contracts, contracts... Agents needs to get better guarantees. I don't find the clubs tactics very lawful or sympathetic.

[@danyosuna7276]

I can only think of what they did to Ozil after the tweet about denouncing human rights violations in China:(

[@jacquesmassard9226]

As an American i find this to be so weird but you guys must find our systems to be weird

[@nabeeljunaid7043]

Tito this is for you: is it better to sign players during the window or out of it?

[@bharatavarsha17000]

Thanks for Enlightening the people 🌚

[@tazitdui9306]

Pls Tifo can you find a new club for Harry winks?😭

[@review-rosok1609]

why sell him

[@danonck]

@@review-rosok1609 because he's poor?

[@tazitdui9306]

@@review-rosok1609 He is too good for Tottenham,he deserves better🙏

[@himanshusharma3128]

Someone should share the video link to PSG officials.

[@scandanavianpopfan2262]

Who are the championship players they are talking about?

[@kennethdaly3224]

Do Norwich have a problem with Arsenal? Two offers on the table, so they tell Purslow what they want to seal the deal without an auction (why would the selling club not want an auction?) and get it done before Garlick can intervene.

[@Mubzander]

Who is the championship player refusing to leave?

[@nachiketsharma3256]

chelsea should be a case study for this.

[@rooneye]

HAHAHAH Richard GARLIC! What a NAME. PLEASE tell me he's a French VAMPIRE! hahahahhahaha

[@spudkai97]

Arteta and edu: write that down! Write that down!

[@hegeliandianetik2009]

How many big premier league are successfully trimming squads through sales? Bit weird focusing on Edu when every club has struggled to sell in this market

[@realvilla]

Come on name and shame! Who were these players you allude to?!

[@dajag6846]

2:50 Championship or Champions league club? Someone is getting a tranfer from tifo to tifo irl 😂🤣😂

[@sturys87]

I really love Tifo´s videos, but this one seems little bit odd to me. For this type of behaviour by club are particular articles in FIFA Regulations, I think its Art. 14 of RSTP, which is related to these situations. So basically if your club treat you like described above in video you could possibly be entitled to terminate your contract. Of course the other issue is what does a player really wants and try to achieve and also these rules are for cases with "international dimension". I do not know exact FA a PL rules related to this, but I would expect that there are some.

[@molybdomancer195]

But the situation is one where the team want rid of the player and the player wants to stay so terminating the contract possibly isn’t an issue to the club

[@sturys87]

@@molybdomancer195 I understand, but the behaviour of the club described in video could be the issue.

[@Derek-qu8qi]

Why did you use the champions league trophy to represent the championship?

[@charlesthomashanley]

Great video

[@stephencooper7459]

You sound like grand admiral thrawn. Videos are great to. ☺️

[@michaelscott7166]

I'm amazed British clubs still use the "train with the youth team tactic" to force a player to leave. I mean it would be a pretty easy case to win in an employment tribunal for constructive dismissal.

[@fizz113]

Who's the Championship and Premiership player?

[@youngberg100]

The premier league midfielder was Ozil not sure about the championship player .

[@honestarsenalfan7038]

That's why Xhaka never leaves...he is too finished.

[@beastTime999]

I have question 🤔? What happened to chelsea building new stadium 🏟 five years ago???

[@Sijs8]

So who are we talking about at 2:50?

[@sollymadeit]

Looks like a Barca checklist

[@williammataathletics2664]

Thought I had some kind of virus when this thumbnail pic popped up on my phone.

[@joshdarwish5788]

Show Arsenal this

[@juuglord8509]

Why?

[@lapprentice]

Today's Special: Westhamburger Tottenham Hotpot Chelsea Fish Arse-ball Aston Vanilla Ice-Cream

[@Raaaambo]

I like The Athletic but I like it better when Tifo present it or i could just be lazy.

[@noobgamer-yt6zj]

Can anyone tell which player is referenced here as an example ??

[@isassetuba]

Man United defender

[@o3_o3_28]

First to comment something other than “First” Also, as an Everton supporter, I feel like we’re the poster child for being unable to sell our deadwood, so we just hemorrhage money

[@YourLifeMustRock]

Man Utd

[@hjalmiris4230]

Poor James

[@jabarireyes4097]

United should take a look at this

[@mr_himanshumishra3484]

ERIK PAARTALU SITUATION FOR BFC

[@gabrieltavares4867]

Boubakary Soumaré entered the chat.

[@cmd31220]

Or you take the Barcelona approach and just offer €100M to random clubs for random players. That works too lol

[@--.-.-.--...---.-.-]

Why is the sound so bad for this episode?

[@adilmohammed6897]

I wonder what all they did to Ozil besides removing him from the team list

[@mustaqimpadzil4449]

Hey is this speaker is the same as mrwhosetheboss ? I meant their voice much lookalike tho

[@sujandas026]

Umtiti facing such problems.

[@AFunkyHypnoCat]

it’s simple Norwich chose to sell to villa over arsenal because they didn’t want to stengthen a relegation rival

[@gonufc]

It's pretty obvious, you "Add to Transfer List"- the fabled global listing somehow connecting all football clubs. Then a buying club can sort by age/ salary/ value (assigned by an independant regulator)/ "Form" represented by a small bar graph and so on.

[@kimaduh1937]

In fifia we just put them on transferlist

[@philthornton1382]

Transfer room 😂 Gumtree for footballers

[@alexgarcia3224]

This video was sponsored by The Athletic.