11 Mar 2019 20:52:20
Hopefully the clubs new strategy :
"Arsenal club chiefs have reportedly confirmed players who have two years left on their contracts and refuse to sign a new deal will be sold by the club. "
Having lost big players for nothing and been held to ransom by others - this new strategy makes sense and a we, come change.
Fingers crossed it works.
I assume that means contracts should be 5 years and very very rarely 3 years in length.
Well done whoever suggested and approved this move.
11 Mar 2019 23:46:22
Where did you see that SY? Seems like the club publicising that policy would hurt their negotiations, both with the player and with other clubs. Other clubs know we're going to sell so they don't have to offer over the odds, the player doesn't have time to be won over if they are iffy on a new contract. As internal policy, great, but as a publicly visible one, hmmm.
13 Mar 2019 08:18:21
I think it's both very sensible and very workable.
All it means is you start negotiations on a contract extention with 3 years remaining and if with 2 years left you have no agreement you listen to offers.
It works for all other clubs so why not us? Which other club loses players on free or is held to ransom like Arsenal have been and have done?
It's incredible how many players like Theo Jack Mesut have won contracts well beyond thier football ability simply by playing the club well in the contract stakes and what other club loses so many players for nothing?
Would Aaron have accepted 2 seasons like this season where he is a bit part player? I think he and others would leave earlier for a fee rather than see out 2 years on the bench which would lessen thier options at the end of the two years.
13 Mar 2019 14:33:18
I wouldn’t say Chelsea are as bad as Arsenal in regards to contracts. But there’s Courtois, Hazard, Hudson-Odoi just in the last season or two. United had something like 11 or so players at the start of the season who were entering the final year of their contract.
I do think it’s a sign of the way things seem to be heading. The price of top end and even average players is sky rocketing and the majority of clubs can't afford to pay those sort of prices. As such players who want to leave are priced out of moves and so the only way for them to move on is to run their contracts down. With the added bonus of being paid double what their market rate is in regards to wages.
13 Mar 2019 20:41:26
Clubs have to change the way players see running their contract down, if a player doesn't play regularly for 2 seasons he will struggle to find a club to match his current salary let alone double it.
Summer 2017 Man city were ready to pay 60 million and improve Sanchez wages but now in winter 2019 and Alexis would struggle to get Leicester City interested enough to pay 16 million and Match his Arsenal wages.
Football moves quickly and players who are hot prospects now can quickly get forgotten once out of the limelight.
14 Mar 2019 11:49:40
The clubs contract policy was woeful during the Gazidis era. It simply can't be any worse.
14 Mar 2019 16:54:33
I agree with the sentiment, but it has the potential for a lot of disruption. Not that I'm agin it, just noting that it's not the win-win it looks.