Football, a game where players are paid crazy amounts of money to do something that they love.
Run around a field with 21 other players and try to score goals. Couldn’t possibly be unhappy right? WRONG!
What is a ‘release clause’?
A release clause, sometimes referred to as buyout clause, is a fixed price written into a footballer’s contract that allows other football clubs to talk to said player should they match the amount agreed between the player and his current club.
This means the player’s’ current club cannot reject the transfer or prevent him leaving in any way. The release clause is already mandatory in Spain and I believe the United Kingdom should follow suit.
Why has this become a problem?
There are many situations where a release clause in English football would be hugely influential right now! From Diego Costa being forced out of the first team picture at Chelsea to Philippe Coutinho’s wish to leave Liverpool for Barcelona.
Diego Costa was key to Chelsea’s Premier League title win last season and despite that, Costa was on international duty with Spain when Antonio Conte sent him a text message (yes he did it by text!) informing him that he was no longer a part of his plans at the club and wishing him all the best for the future.
Now, Chelsea want him to join a Chinese club so they can make more money on his sale but Costa has vowed to go where he will be happy and is prepared to stay in Brazil with his parents until sense prevails.
If Costa had a release clause then Chelsea couldn’t pick and choose where to sell him. Coutinho wants to make the step up to footballing giants Barcelona but Liverpool are strong on their stance that he’ll not be sold, so strong that Coutinho has handed in a transfer request.
Why are mandatory release clauses the answer?
The introduction of mandatory release clauses would help players like Costa who in effect is in danger of having his career ruined by Chelsea’s greed, leave the club for a place where he wants to go.
This wouldn’t be a nightmare for football club’s either as they have a huge say in the price of the release clause, as you see in La Liga with Real Madrid, players like Gareth Bale with £500m+ clauses.
As long as the players agree to it, you can set crazy fees which make it almost certain that player will not leave unless you accept a lower offer.
I just feel that the people in power shouldn’t want to keep unhappy players, If the player wishes to leave, accept it, replace and move on.
To conclude…
I strongly urge the powers that be to consider making release clauses mandatory for the sake of the game.
Football is unnecessarily trying to hide its cracks by addressing small needless problems like when to end the transfer window, don’t fix what isn’t broken and address the real issues!
Written by Jordan Hackett
Follow Jordan on Twitter @Devildart180
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