What does he value more, money or career? That'll be the question Barca will be trying to force. Then what do they value more, saving millions on their wage bill and get some transfer money (by buying out FDJ with a yet to be agreed sum), or have a player on huge pay, no transfer fee and possibly an unhappy player/squad disharmony.
Summer Transfer Window 22/23
- Thread starter robfosters
- Start date
Caporegime
All parties have to be happy with the transfer though. It doesn't matter if there is a clause dealing with "if he left". The chances are very high that Barca wouldn't entertain selling him if the finances of it were not good enough. If they had to pay out a massive chunk of those wages when he leaves they would just not sell. Well, unless he agreed to negotiate... which is exactly what is happening now.
Like I said, he can veto anything he is not happy about so if he leaves now he can still completely dictate the terms to Barca and if they don't like it he won't go.
Its also pretty unlikely that Barca, a club in dire financial straights would bench him for 4 years whilst still paying him a crazy wage. Thats the only leverage Barca have here. Outside of that they have precisely zero despite the contract saying nothing about what happens if he is sold.
Caporegime
They each have one piece of leverage. Barca knows he wants to play, Frenkie knows they don't want to pay him for his full contract. It's a game of chicken until then and that seems to be why it is dragging out. Multiple journalists have reported a valuation has been agreed in principle between the two clubs.
This whole FDJ thing is getting silly now. He agreed to a brand new extended contract with Barca and unless something has happened which hasn't been reported then Barca have met their obligations of that contract. And this idea that Barca will stick him in the stands for the next 4 years when his pay is about to go through the roof is fanciful to say the least - FDJ will know that too.
We have no idea whether FDJ actively wanted or wants to leave but it's pretty clear that Barca would like to sell him and FDJ knows that. He also knows that if he stays then Barca will have to start paying him a huge increase on his current wages. In the same way Barca have every right to try to get the best possible deal for them, he has every right to get the best deal for himself. The best deal for him could be to stay or it could be to sit tight, say nothing and hope that Barca (or Utd) give him a big chunk of cash to persuade him to leave. It's fundamentally no different to when countless other sides have an expensive flop on their hands and they're trying to push him out of the door - you get a period of brinkmanship before said club agrees to a pay-off to persuade him to go.
We have no idea whether FDJ actively wanted or wants to leave but it's pretty clear that Barca would like to sell him and FDJ knows that. He also knows that if he stays then Barca will have to start paying him a huge increase on his current wages. In the same way Barca have every right to try to get the best possible deal for them, he has every right to get the best deal for himself. The best deal for him could be to stay or it could be to sit tight, say nothing and hope that Barca (or Utd) give him a big chunk of cash to persuade him to leave. It's fundamentally no different to when countless other sides have an expensive flop on their hands and they're trying to push him out of the door - you get a period of brinkmanship before said club agrees to a pay-off to persuade him to go.
They can't, just like they couldn't force him to accept reduced wages in the previous two years. FDJ and his agent negotiated and agreed a new contract that he and Barca were happy with. Barca benefited by lowering his wages for a couple of seasons and FDJ got a 2 year extension on an already long contract and it's very possible there were other perks for him too.
All well and good Barca and FDJ (and agent) agreeing a new deal all parties were happy with, however it looks in hindsight like Barca put something on the table they were unable to afford which is a bit naughty. It's a bit bait and switchy in my eyes.
Then again, maybe they can afford it, with all their recent signings...
They're paying him his agreed wages, are they not? As soon as they don't pay his wages he will be free to terminate his contract and walk out on Barca for nothing.
Yes they are paying his wages, however, would he have signed it if he'd have known in doing so that it would make him a likely candidate to be sold due to the wage bill?
I suppose this is something players and agents (and non-joke clubs like Barca) should be thinking about more and more with the insane wage packages these days.
I suppose this is something players and agents (and non-joke clubs like Barca) should be thinking about more and more with the insane wage packages these days.
Soldato
Yeah, there seems to be a lot of people not understanding the various positions (despite many people posting very clear bullet points in this thread).
It's a tricky situation, you would think that Barca would just want to pay him off as it seems clear that FDJ is unlikely to give in. It gets him off the books and would lead to Goodwill for Barca and they might be able to get other players to agree in the future.
As @BaZ87 mentions, there's no chance of Barca letting FDJ rot on a bench should he not be sold, so it's unlikely he would suffer from a lack of playing time when it comes to future transfers/national team, and have too consider that.
It's a tricky situation, you would think that Barca would just want to pay him off as it seems clear that FDJ is unlikely to give in. It gets him off the books and would lead to Goodwill for Barca and they might be able to get other players to agree in the future.
As @BaZ87 mentions, there's no chance of Barca letting FDJ rot on a bench should he not be sold, so it's unlikely he would suffer from a lack of playing time when it comes to future transfers/national team, and have too consider that.
I don't really understand the question. When any player signs any contract he (and the club) is agreeing to stay at the club for x years on x amount of money and the only way that would change is if the his club agrees a transfer with another club and he agrees to leave. This is all that matters - everything else is noise.
Unless FDJ genuinely doesn't want to join Utd then all this is, is a game of who blinks first. Barca are hoping that FDJ will cave join Utd without a pay off or Utd agree to pay him more money, FDJ is hoping Barca or Utd cave and agree to pay him more money and Utd are hoping FDJ caves and agrees to join without a pay off or Barca cave and agree to pay him. Maybe nobody will blink and he'll stay.
I know from my FM days that just offering big money doesn't always get you the player. There's so many factors, like manager, position to challenge for trophies, fan base, location, history, fan of the club, security, training facilities, etc etc etc. It's why a player will now go to City or Liverpool over Utd if there was a choice.
It's way more than the money and it's a bit disingenuous to suggest otherwise.
In an ideal world FDJ would see out his contract at Barca and all would be happy, but Barca offered him something they regret. That's the situation, and it will affect a player and how the club treats him.
It's way more than the money and it's a bit disingenuous to suggest otherwise.
In an ideal world FDJ would see out his contract at Barca and all would be happy, but Barca offered him something they regret. That's the situation, and it will affect a player and how the club treats him.
They don't have to pay him off though? He took a pay cut for the 2 years but extended his contract by a further 2 years. Barca don't owe him any outstanding wage's? Seems more likely that man u are trying to low ball Barca with their offer
Caporegime
United and Barca apparently have an agreement on the fee and have had for a week or two. The issue is purely the deferred wages between Frenkie and Barca.
My post was on the assumption that FDJ wanted to join Utd and the only sticking point was a pay off from Barca. In that scenario it's a case of who blinks first.
And re your last paragraph, you could say the same with hundreds of other players at other clubs and vice versa. Players sign for or extend contracts at clubs all the time and theirs or the clubs circumstances change all the time. Both players and clubs have to put their big boy pants on and accept that they signed that deal and they have to stick to it if the other party doesn't agree on breaking it.
Caporegime
If you believe anything Laporta says you are crazy. His entire purpose is to make Barca look good. He wants it to look like FDJ is the bad guy asking for too much money and they're forced to sell him after trying to get him to accept a paycut for the good of the club, same as they've done with Umtiti, Dembele etc