The rise of forced transfers

Football is one of the oldest sports. Professional football dates back to 1888 in England. At that time, it was very simple, but over time it evolved. Footballing culture also changed with time. A vital example is the vanishing of Samba-style football from Brazil, well known by Ronaldinho. After Neymar Jr., we had no other player from Brazil who had that symbolic Brazilian football style.

Over time, football faced many challenges and, with time, found its solutions as well. From fair play sports, this became unethical and more physically engaging. But it was still enjoyable. We loved these players, and the players also loved the fans and their respective clubs. Over time, we saw many one-club players who rewrote what loyalty means in football, including Totti, Maldini, and Puyol.

Nowadays, the football landscape has changed a lot. It's not what we used to know about it. Players loved and respected their clubs, as these were the clubs that gave them fame and big paychecks. But now, in the past few years, things have started to fall apart. The incident between Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United is quite clear. He was benched, and he left the sitting area before the final whistle. Manchester United fans got mad at him. For sure, he is a massive name, but no player is bigger than the club.

In the past few days, many incidents were reported where players did not show up for training and preseason matches. They informed clubs that they are not going to play for them despite being under contract, including Douglas Luiz for Juventus and Alexander Isak for Newcastle United. These are the most recent add-ons, where a forced transfer culture is getting more common.

What is forced transfer culture?

It refers to a situation where players force clubs to make a potential move to another club. For this, they use different tactics, including pressuring them by not representing them despite having a contract and paychecks from that club.

This culture was not so commonly known in football until 2008, when Dimitar Berbatov, a baller who used to play for Tottenham Hotspur, showed his desire to join Man United, but Spurs were interested in Man City's bid. Berbatov declined to speak with Manchester City. As a result, United got this man for 30 million.

That was just the beginning. After that, many players did similar things to get rid of clubs, including some of the biggest stars of the club, like Ousmane Dembele from BVB, Riyad Mahrez from Leicester, and Gareth Bale from Spurs. The list goes on, with a lot of players doing similar things. The major concern is why things are getting worse and why players are behaving like this.

It's not about Isak or Luiz. It's about the culture growing rapidly. The majority of players try to refuse tactics, but many times they go for media leaks, faking injuries, and releasing public statements. Here, renewing contracts is not included, as it was always the player's will to stay or not. So that point is not part of the discussion. Other points were evident in many cases of forced transfer culture.

Reasons and why it happens

One of the reasons is that players want control over their careers and where they want to play. From the point of view of the player, it’s their right to choose where they want to stay. In modern football, players are way stronger than in the past. So they are frequently using forced transfer culture as a valid reason.

Better opportunities are also one of the reasons that catch players' attention. A big club means huge wages, better footballing opportunities, and a higher level of football, like continental football. Obviously, trophies are also a plus. So you are earning well and achieving higher-level trophies in your career. That is what big clubs always use as bait for young and rising talents. Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid also falls under this same synopsis.

Football agents also play a vital role in this scenario, where, just for their personal gain, agents try to gain personal profit. If someone thinks that players just do what players ask, then you guys should study one of the craziest transfers ever to happen in La Liga. Figo's agent was one of the reasons he moved from FC Barcelona to Real Madrid. Agents grabbed one of the most beneficial moves not only for the player but for themselves as well. That is one of the reasons many athletes have family members as agents.

It was not always the players' fault. Sometimes clubs try to earn a huge paycheck. Recently, Pachuca did a similar thing with rising Mexican gem Monteriel. For many reasons, he is a possible target for European clubs. To cash in, Pachuca offered him a renewal of the contract. That kind of act was a bit greedy by the club.

Criticism

Critics highlighted it as vital damage, whether it's from the club end or the player end. That not only damages team morale but also players' confidence in the team. Overall, it shows a lack of professionalism from both ends. Things can be settled in a better way. If both sides agree, they can generate an evident profit for both sides. Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid and Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid are evident transfers that generated profit for both sides.

At the club's end, they are losing control over the contractual power of players. The club lost control over players, which disrupted dressing room harmony. Players get a synopsis of uncertainty and chaos in the dressing room. The club also faces a kind of decline in players' market value, where they get a low price for a player, all because of a forced transfer.

Forced transfer culture strengthens players and their right to choose their future—whether they want to play for a club or not. But it also raises serious concerns about player-club relations, professionalism, and ethical and sporting concerns. Also, it puts a huge mark over loyalty and the respect for on-paper contracts.