One of the advantages of a wet Sunday morning is that you can spend some time having a good read of the Sunday news which of course these days take the format of many online sources rather than the old fashioned paper method of years ago.

But it was an interesting article that I came across in one of the more local newspapers today that I thought was worth sharing with everyone on here and that is the various stages that make up a transfer deal.

I think for many of us we believe that there is an offer made and the transfer happens after long discussions between the clubs and the player's representatives but of course there is much more to it than being that simple so the following made up from the report the anatomy of a transfer deal

Scouting

We know that the Swans for example have a network of scouts who look at players and I guess that many believe that they compile the reports and send back to the club who will then do the rest. But as the paper works out the work of the scout is much more than that as the industry evolves. Many clubs use a programme called Scout7 which gathers detailed statistical analyses of players. Videos are uploaded within minutes of a game finishing, enabling a club to run the rule over a player from the comfort of their base.

Scouts will also speak to agents, forge relationships with the player's family and friends and also work hard to ensure that they remain one step ahead of anyone else watching the same player

The Bid

Not quite as simple as it used to be with just the formal submitting of a bid to the selling club. It is not uncommon now for clubs to contact trusted agents to act on their behalf, either in finding an available player from another club or finding a buyer for their own unwanted player. Agents have been known to strike a deal that otherwise may never have happened.

Tapping Up

It is of course supposed to be the case that “a player under contract shall not directly or indirectly make any approach to another club without having obtained the prior written consent of the existing club to who he is contracted.”

However, the reality is that this is not the case and rarely will a bid be submitted to a players club without some contact with the representatives to see if they would be interested in a move,. Indeed, the bulk of a deal is set up before terms have been agreed between the two clubs. It isn't right but this is the way that it happens.

Negotiation

Almost as simple as it sounds but rarely completed in just one meeting. Usually starts with the player's agent and say the football club chief executive. Rarely is the player involved at this club, the player tends to meet the manager where the manager sells his vision for how he fits into the buying club.

Agents

As much as we hate them sadly these days they are an integral part of the game. Without them very few transfers would actually be achieved and good ones are valued equally by the players and the clubs.

The Completion

We know this bit, it often involve the player, the stadium, a shirt and a photographer. And the declaring that the "move completes by childhood dream"

So there we have it the full anatomy of a transfer deal.

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