Yacht Journey, Equity, Broadcast Revenue: How Clubs Can Attract Players to Join

To attract players to join now, it is no longer as simple as a few cash and a luxury car.

Two years ago, when Miami International tried to sign Lionel Messi, they had to rack their brains because Messi's contract with Paris Saint-Germain was about to expire, and the Saudi club was obviously more competitive in direct economic conditions.

Miami International's pursuit of the Argentine star lasted for months. To make up for the economic gap, they proposed an ingenious plan: to provide Messi with the club's equity, which will officially take effect after he leaves the team.

This unprecedented deal also includes additional revenue from North American League business partners, including share of the Major League Soccer Season Pass sold through Apple TV platform, and compensation agreements between Adidas and Fanatics.

This summer, the English transfer market is expected to be the hottest in history. According to statistics from the transfer website, 218 new players have completed signing so far, and the transfer expenses have exceeded 1 billion pounds, and the transfer deadline will not arrive until September 1.

Transfer market is now more commercial and more competitive than ever. But what methods do the club use to ensure that the players they like finally join? How have these strategies evolved?

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A broker representing Premier League players (requires anonymous to protect partnerships) told reporters: "The higher the level of players, the more outrageous their requirements are. Sometimes it is very specific - such as assisting them to bring pets from overseas to the UK; sometimes it is more routine, such as providing a club's private seat for family and friends. This requirement is actually quite common."

"Most of the time, these benefits are offered by the players. In my experience, it is best to put forward early, especially for players. You don't want to suddenly make extra requests to the club when the negotiations are nearing the end, as this may annoy the buyer's club when the deal is pending."

Establishing long-term relationships with potential signing players are often crucial to facilitate transfers. Sports directors often stay in touch with the players they want to bring in, such as sending congratulations when players perform well, thereby building rapport and familiarity. This early effort can bring an advantage to the club in the last moments of the transfer window, because other clubs may just make temporary bids, trying to "find a bargain".

Owning a stake in a club or profiting from the success of the club is gradually becoming a common requirement for the rich in football.

But that's not always the case.

The late 1980s was a simpler and simpler era when a small sunbed could become the key to transfer negotiations.

At least Paul Gascoin recalled this. He said Tottenham bought sunbeds for his sister and a house for his parents, which prompted him to turn down Ferguson and Manchester United for joining the London club from Newcastle.

It was 1988, when the English version of Maradona was just named the Young Player of the Year by the English Professional Player. He became one of the world's top players two years later with his outstanding performance in the World Cup (that year he was also ranked fourth in the Golden Globes).

Manchester United had several seasons left before the start of the English football dominance period for more than 20 years, and Gascoin had already agreed to join Manchester United... until Tottenham's then chairman Irving Scola intervened.

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Spurs bought my family's house, and Manchester United didn't want to match this condition, so I naturally wanted to take care of my parents," Gascoin later recalled. "They also bought a sunbed for my sister - it was written into the contract, and she did get it."

"Maybe it was that sunbed that Manchester United couldn't afford. She should have made a spray tanning, so I might have won a few more medals."

This is a "intersection of fate" in English football history. If Gascoin joins Old Trafford, he will not only win multiple honors under Ferguson, but even if he is just away from the hustle and bustle of London, his career and health may not have declined so quickly.

Ferguson once said that Gascoin was one of the players he most wanted to sign but failed to do so in his long coaching career.

"I think he is the best English player since Bobby Charlton," Ferguson said in 2021. "It's a pity that we didn't sign him. Looking back now, I think he made a big mistake. He later admitted it himself. But we had other Newcastle people on the team at that time: Bobby Charlton, Brian Robson, Steve Bruce, and even Gary Pallister from Middlesbrough, and we had people who could take care of him."

"He had agreed to sign, but Tottenham changed his mind by buying a house for his parents. Martin Edwards (at the time Manchester United chairman) was not that kind of person."

convinced players to join a club almost always involves money, but occasionally players were moved by traditional meticulous examinations.

Christopher Aye, who left the Scottish Celtics in 2021, faced multiple choices at the time, but he eventually chose to join Brentford in West London, partly because the club has paid far more attention to him than other teams.

"They told me that they watched my 123 games and evaluated my performance, which games were 'green', expressed recognition, and which ones were 'red', indicating that they were 'qualified." Aye said in an interview with Norwegian local TV station. "They analyze everything."

"What I like about this club compared to other clubs is that they tell me they are interested in many aspects of me, but also make it clear that I need to improve a lot..

Postkoglu said at the time: "For every player I signed, I just talked to them about my belief in football, my views on them as players, and what aspects of the team I think are suitable for. I try to create a clear picture in their minds so that they will know what they will face after joining."

As for the rich income Messi earned through the Apple platform, it is still an out of reach for most football players.

For most people, the core principle of transfer is actually the same as what they pursue when changing jobs.

"Money and family are still the most important factors in any transfer," the previously anonymous Premier League agent told reporters. "This applies to most industries. In addition, there is another factor - the feeling of being needed. It's actually that simple."