I bid, Everyone else bids

I find a cracking youngster for my club, enquire/bid for player (no option to make it private!) then the 'big' clubs bid for the same player maybe bidding twice as much as me. Then I lose that player and he then signs for a bigger club.

This nearly happens all the time with youngsters or really good cheap players, anyone else having this problem?

Why isn't there an option to make a private bid for any player/coach you wish to buy?

Try this- as soon as you submit a bid, remove the player from your shortlist before hitting confirm. Do the same when you offer a contract. This will keep the bid quiet in most cases.