Release clauses, done right, make sense for the player and the club.
We saw last season with how Grealish and Kane worked out.
Grealish wanted to come to City, City were willing to pay the release clause, Villa were amply compensated.
Kane wanted to come to City, City were willing to pay a record-breaking fee, Spurs shut the whole thing down.
A release clause, set at a value high enough to deter everyone constantly making offers, high enough for the selling club to make a big profit and be able to afford a replacement, and low enough that a club that really wants to buy the player can justify spending it, puts the player in charge of his future. If someone meets the release clause, he has a simple choice to make - stay or go. Whatever he wants, his club can't stop him.
Pep's said loads of times that if a player wants to leave and a bid comes in at an acceptable price to the club, he'll be allowed to leave. The only difference between that approach and a release clause is that with a release clause we know in advance how much we'll get for him if he does go.
We wouldn't keep a player against his will if a club he wanted to go to made us an offer that represented his value. We know that, but maybe Haaland's wiser than Kane and so unwilling to rely on a gentleman's agreement.
We saw last season with how Grealish and Kane worked out.
Grealish wanted to come to City, City were willing to pay the release clause, Villa were amply compensated.
Kane wanted to come to City, City were willing to pay a record-breaking fee, Spurs shut the whole thing down.
A release clause, set at a value high enough to deter everyone constantly making offers, high enough for the selling club to make a big profit and be able to afford a replacement, and low enough that a club that really wants to buy the player can justify spending it, puts the player in charge of his future. If someone meets the release clause, he has a simple choice to make - stay or go. Whatever he wants, his club can't stop him.
Pep's said loads of times that if a player wants to leave and a bid comes in at an acceptable price to the club, he'll be allowed to leave. The only difference between that approach and a release clause is that with a release clause we know in advance how much we'll get for him if he does go.
We wouldn't keep a player against his will if a club he wanted to go to made us an offer that represented his value. We know that, but maybe Haaland's wiser than Kane and so unwilling to rely on a gentleman's agreement.