8 weeks ago I was in Belgium negotiating a transfer from a brazilian right back to a club in Jupiler League. One of our agents representing the right back was speaking to the club about him, simultaneously I had established a contact with sport director. Even though I knew that the particular rightback was not available we decided I should fly down giving them the news face to face and at the same time pitch what I/agency can do for them. Overall it went good. The club is under new sporting management and they are totally revising their "project", which always means lots of transfers in and out. Since my visit I have been helping them in both selling players but also acquiring players.
2 weeks ago through email I send a striker which we could arrange cheap. The Sport Director got really excited but the trainer puts in his veto due to tactical team set up. We speak on the phone and he says; "shit, the league starts in 3 weeks and we are still missing a goalkeeper, right back and striker". Since I had already presented more or less every single player from our agency I had to come up with something new. Few days before this a Danish agent called me and we chatted for a while, I remembered him saying he represented a good right back so I call him up and explain the situation. 5 min later the club has an email with full presentation of the player and 5 min after that we have green light, they want him. Two weeks of quite tough negotiations, the hard work was to convince the player this is the optimal move for him.
During the weekend we agreed on the last details, Monday signed. My first transfer done !
My first "failed" transfer:
Without being an agent it is not hard to figure out what which team is looking for. This was also the case for a newly promoted side in Eastern Europe, having the contact info the Director of Sports we had some shallow contact over the last couple of weeks. I sent him one of our players that I knew would fit their profile and required position (so did 50 other agents as well). I try to differencify my email presentations and this time the guy picks up the lead. He calls me up and says they are interested but not for the money I suggested. We negotiate for 48 hours and agree on all the essentials, net salary, bonus structure, length, clauses etc. Next step is to purchase tickets for the player and so they do. The plan is that we will arrive on Monday evening, Tuesday we go to club hq for meet and great and Wednesday morning medical and sign in the evening when I fly home. Everything feels 100%.
Standards are that the club sends a draft of the contract a couple of days before (so my lawyers can look it through) and if there are still some changes to be done. Then at the actual signing you never read the "real" contract it self but you only make sure it is exactly the same as the draft that you received in beforehand. I ask for the draft last Friday afternoon directly after we got the plane tickets reserved for us. Sport Director says they will be sent directly. Saturday morning I wake up and see no contract in my mail box, I call him up. "Sorry, our lawyers dont work over the weekend and there is no way we can translate now. I promise you will have it upon arrival". Since the club already put on their website that we are arriving and they took whole cost of flight+hotel I chose to believe the guy. Monday we arrive no contract, during that day I ask him 8 times through phone, sms, email. Tuesday morning no contract and I am starting to get seriously pissed of, at one point I scream at him. Me and player go out to have lunch and discuss. I tell him that my suspicion is that something is fishy. Together we decide to put a ultimatum to the club, we want the contract before 16.00 (I need time to send it to my office and proof read it my self). We wait in the hotel but no sign from the club, at this point I realize there is no way the deal will go through. I start to think about next step and how to minimize dark headlines. Wednesday we dont do the medical but in the afternoon Sport director, translator/lawyer shows up. Even though I want to rip his head of I do my best to keep myself and my player calm, last thing we want is negative headlines. Without actually saying it both parties understand deal off. Me and player go to sturbucks, he is super frustrated and disappointed, I assure him that I did everything I could and from the bottom of my heart I will find and even better offer for him.
On my flight back I analyze the situation and come to the following conclusion. Probably the Director, wanted us to do the medical and then 1 hour before our flight he would through a contract on us saying we sign now or never. A contract of course with different terms than we agreed.
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