- May 28, 2013
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i think it is probable that they agree on the price first, and then start the negotiation of payment structure, terms and conditions etc.
Probably.
But the price can change depending on far more than just the payment structure. My understanding is that the price nowadays is just a broad expression of a player's value, to see if it's worth starting negotiations, but it's no longer the fixed part of the deal in the way it once was when the player's contract was more or less just a matter of accepting whatever wage was on offer with perhaps a few minutes of traditional haggling and a few quid's bonus and a motor thrown in.
Contracts between clubs are hugely more complicated than they used to be. Player's contracts are too. Sometimes there are other parties to be considered including sponsors. Sometimes compromises have to be reached or new circumstances have to be considered that can reduce a player's value to the buying club who then have to decide whether, by sticking to the original indicated price they are happy to pay more than they had effectively agreed. If they are not happy the may lose the deal, and it could appear that they've gone back on their word, or are re-trading as some people put it. Equally the selling club have decisions to make, and they may be reluctant sellers to start with.
There's a host of reasons why things change during negotiations and there's nearly always an agent stirring away like mad!
I could be wrong. And some deals are straightforward. I just think it's wrong to make assumptions about transfers in the way we often tend to do.