- What people often get wrong about transfers.
- A free transfer costs more than you think!
- How management games have ruined transfer discourse.
As Norwich City fans gaze across websites and try to spot players eyeing up furniture in Home Bargains, pre-season is the time of transfer rumours and speculation.
Unfortunately, it is also the time when people make assumptions that are not necessarily true. Here are some transfer misconceptions that Norwich City fans should know.
Budget
Too often fans extrapolate figures based on what players supposedly sold for, gate receipts and so forth.
However like Hollywood films it is difficult to know exactly what the budget is. Also boards are often sensible enough to not divulge too much because there is the risk of teams jacking up the price once they realise how much a team has to play with.
Free doesn’t mean cheap
People think because a player is available on a free then that means it is a cheap deal. This is often not the case.
This is because wages are often the most expensive part of any transfer. While transfer fees can be spread out over time, wages need to go out on a regular basis.
This can also apply to players available on loan. In recent times loan fees have been more prevalent. While some teams may subsidise wages for a player to an extent this will depend on how much the other team will think their player will benefit from the loan move.
Be wary of free agents
Machiavelli described mercenaries as “valiant among friends, among enemies cowardly; they have no fear of God, no loyalty to men”
While he wasn’t describing players without attached clubs, this is something fans point at when scouting around potential names.
The problem is that these players are often unattached for a reason. On a practical level they are likely to have fitness issues, especially given that there is a difference between being physically fit and the level required to play the full 90 minutes plus stoppage time.
There is also the problem of their character. Some players can be exceptionally talented but if they are not willing to put the work in or have a bad attitude this can be one reason that they end up getting bounced around clubs.
Speed
In some senses games like Football Manager have ruined discourse around transfers. There is the idea that if you sort out a few parameters then you can get your player to sign once they’ve got past the medical.
In truth, there are more stages before and after. Boards have to be careful as any accusations of tapping up can have consequences so the approach has to be done in the right way.
The process is also complicated by the representatives. In the past it would have been just the player’s family and agent. But now the contracts have become more complex with release clauses, image rights and other details.
It’s not simple
Jamie Carragher recently criticised the number of sporting directors and other board members involved with transfers.
The reality is that due to the complexity of modern transfers you can’t really go back to managers being too hands on. Indeed this is something that Eddie Howe was criticised for recently!
What I hope is that the Norwich City board get the balance right – they need to get the work to get the transfers done, but it should be done with Philippe Clement’s involvement.
We have already seen with the January window how a few smart signings can boost the team. While it is hard for Norwich City fans to wait, I hope that the board will give our manager the support he needs.
Shoutout
Speaking of transfers, shout out to Daniel Emery, who’s been really on it with the links on this site!
