Player choices when selecting between more than one club

I'm Leverkusen. Summer before second season.

Suddenly, Gago is offered to me for $18 million. I accept and so to a billion other clubs. He signs with Inter. The puzzling thing was that he signed for $80,000/week whereas I had offered him $95,000/week. OK, I realized that Inter had the highest reputation so I left it at that.

Next thing I know Gokhan Inler is offered to me for $20 million. Once again, me and a billion other clubs bid for him. He also signs for Inter. This is bizarre for four reasons:

1. He once again accepted lower wages to sign for Inter than what he had asked for while in negotiations with me.

2. He's signing for a team which has tons of other DMs. There is obviously way too much competition for a 1st team place. They literally had just signed Gago and they also have Vieira, Cambiasso, and Muntari, not to mention some other youngsters who play Inler's EXACT SAME POSITION. Strangely enough, it was Renato Augusto (they signed him from me) who was worried about competition for 1st team place, not any of the DMs.

3. Inter had come in 3rd the season before so why is their reputation still better than everyone elses'?

4. Why would Inter sign a player in which they have more than enough cover in?

I'm not really complaining about how he wouldn't sign for me because I have probably the lowest reputation of all the clubs in negotiations with them, but why did Inler choose Inter? Why not Barcelona or Real Madrid or either of the big 4 English teams? He would be in the first team for essentially all of them, but he choose Inter where he probably will never play because Cambiasso, Gago, and possibly Vieira and Muntari are better than him.

Very good question Scott.

I tried to find an answer in the editor, as club reputation isn't the definitive factor on it's own. You also have to take into account city attractiveness, but this didn't provide an answer with the clubs you mentioned either.

Neither did relationships (as I expected), or languages for that matter as Inler has a high adaptability.

If I were you I'd just tell myself he went there because Milan is closest to his home in Switzerland, and it'll also mean less travelling for his International duties.

A definitive answer on these circumstances would be good.