Best way to let go of old players?

I always find it difficult to let go of old players from the club, I either upset them because they think I'm forcing them out which affects other players as well, or they have been serving the club for a long time and if I tried to sell them other players would be annoyed upset that the club are tying to get rid of this particular player.

In this particular situation I'm trying to get rid of Ledley King and Gallas, both their physical attributes are declining enough that they are simply not fast enough to keep up with the fast strikers.

Now, what is the best way to get rid of them? Obviously some cash would be nice, but if they leave quietly and without any fuss for free then I think that would be better, especially as I don't think I would get much money from them anyway.

I was thinking of telling them via Player interaction, either by Player Interaction > Transfer Status > Terminate Contract > (either because we need to cut down the wage bill or they are deemed surplus, allowing us to save money and would be able to find first team football elsewhere)

OR

Player Interaction > Transfer Status > Transfer List player > (either to get 'you' off the wage bill or you're deemed surplus requirements)

Sorry if it all looks confusing, but what is the best way you suggest? Or do you have a specific and effective way to get rid of old/legendary players?

I never have any luck with other clubs offering to buy players I put on the market, even if they are super stars still. Sure I've had plenty of clubs showing interest, but not one club takes that extra step and offers to buy them. It's annoying the game was designed that way. Anyway, if I were in your position I would probably just let their contracts expire and let them leave with no fuss, that's the best way to keep the rest of the team from getting upset at you.

If they're thinking about coaching then I would consider going that way with them. In my current save (Ajax) I've got Ooijer and Tainio both on player/coach deals, with Ooijer moving backroom at the end of the season. I've also persuaded Oleguer to take his coaching badges, and at season end he'll become player coach.

I find it is a decent way of shuffling them off the pitch while giving the players themselves a proper role at the club, keeping them happy. And it is always nice to keep long-term servants at the club (well on this occasion not), but in my FM10 save with Betis I had about 6 people on the Legends/Icons list on my staff from persuading them to retire.

But it's a risk registering them into the squad, because you don't quite know when they finally start letting the team down because of their age and because they're registered you have to wait till January to change the squad registration.

i just let several long serving players go after they ran out of contract, just kicking the habbit of keeping contracts up to date was my issue xD

I always offer them to clubs nuff said

A shotgun, then off to the glue factory.

Seriously though, I'm in the same boat with Carra, he won't leave no matter what I do so I just have to let his contract run out. He's on a lot of money as well. You could try the wage bill thing, it's worked for me in the past, or offer them out for free if they are on high wages, I just did that with Deggen who is utter crap and on big money.

I just let their contract expire. Phil Neville might not have liked it - the board might not have liked it - but the players didn't seem to mind, which mines I'm playing well, which means the board doesn't mind too much. They'll mind just long enough until they find something else they mind - like me tumbling out of the Carling Cup early or something.

If they're thinking about coaching then I would consider going that way with them. In my current save (Ajax) I've got Ooijer and Tainio both on player/coach deals, with Ooijer moving backroom at the end of the season. I've also persuaded Oleguer to take his coaching badges, and at season end he'll become player coach.

I find it is a decent way of shuffling them off the pitch while giving the players themselves a proper role at the club, keeping them happy. And it is always nice to keep long-term servants at the club (well on this occasion not), but in my FM10 save with Betis I had about 6 people on the Legends/Icons list on my staff from persuading them to retire.

But the question is, are they good enough as coaches to make it viable? And do they agree to a realistic salary?

FMRTE their contracts to expire. Done

FMRTE their contracts to expire. Done

I never use any third party software, I always like to play a clean game with no cheating.

A shotgun, then off to the glue factory.

Seriously though, I'm in the same boat with Carra, he won't leave no matter what I do so I just have to let his contract run out. He's on a lot of money as well. You could try the wage bill thing, it's worked for me in the past, or offer them out for free if they are on high wages, I just did that with Deggen who is utter crap and on big money.

i know what you mean about Carra

i ended up getting him in as player/coach. decent enough fitness stat, so he proved useful but he's on an enormous wage and i guess that'll be the case til he finally hangs up his boots. he's now on backup status and is technically my 5th choice DC, whilst being my highest paid

I tend not to let my players get old. Ive only kept 2 players since their 30th birthday, everyone else was shipped out aged 29/30 as the young players were keeping them out of the team. Van persie and Frey are the only 2 that are still there (31 and 34 respectively) and Freys stats have just started to dip this season so I will have to think carefully about him. I would keep him, but hes already stated he doesnt want a coaching role - I might as well try and get the £8million hes apparantly worth!

I tend not to let my players get old. Ive only kept 2 players since their 30th birthday, everyone else was shipped out aged 29/30 as the young players were keeping them out of the team. Van persie and Frey are the only 2 that are still there (31 and 34 respectively) and Freys stats have just started to dip this season so I will have to think carefully about him. I would keep him, but hes already stated he doesnt want a coaching role - I might as well try and get the £8million hes apparantly worth!

So you just force them out when they reach 30 years old?

Don't they/others get ****ed off with that?

Be careful with offering contracts when they get to about 28-29 years old. I normally try to get them to sign a 3-4 year deal max and then let thier contract run down. Or if you feel you can afford to sell them, get rid before they reach 30 for a decent fee.

Plan ahead. Have them on one-year contracts once they're 33+.

Keep them. The 'they can't keep up, their stats have gone down' stuff is just lame. It's a myth!

I have won the Premier League with a back four featuring Baines at 33 at LB, Yobo 35 and Jagielka 33 at CB and Phil Neville at RB for most of the season at 38. My keeper was 23 though, so perhaps that was enough magical youth to sacrifice to the game's gods?

Centre backs I find play their best football from 30-34. Most of you have got rid of them by 26 because they aren't young enough. A lot of you seem to play by the rule of if they would get served buying beer in Asda then get rid as they are too old. Myth, myth, myth.

Not really much of a choice when you see how stuffed up the whole contract/selling players is. However "Good on you for not cheating". Just out of interest you never said how you manage this where others cannot?

I never use any third party software, I always like to play a clean game with no cheating.

Transfer list them and offer to other clubs with 0 transfer fee and include clause payement for 48 months where you can ask for more even more money than their worth is!

Also....if nothing can help, just try to resign them, but only for one season and just let them leave the club...

They will probably ask for bigger wages, but if they are on 5 year contract and there is no way you can sell them and they are useless to you, it's ok to give them even 2 or 3 times bigger salary for that season. It will be tough for you wage budget, but next season it will be better!

If those older players don't cut into your wage budget too deeply and you're willing to pay, then simply let them retire at your club. The number of 30+ yo players announcing their retirement is significantly higher if they've spent a year without having played single game. Of course they might be unhappy about that, but at least it doesn't affect the rest of the squad.

rte either contract or sory fitness out... only cheating if yoy get major help ie cash or player abiliy... tweakin it is

Offer them a coaching role if they are good enough or as mentioned above I only sign older players to shorter deals. No point signing a a 32 year old to longer than a one year deal in Premiership as 97% start losing their stats.

once they are no longer good enough i let them run out of contract so they just leave the club. while i wait i usually get them to tutor somebody so they are at least doing something.

if they announce they will retire before the end of the season, i will then sometimes offer a coaching position

I will usually keep them until they are really too old to be a backup player. I will just let their contract run out.

Older players can be quite useful for tutoring or good backup players. The downside is that they usually have higher wages than youngsters who can also play as backup.

Once they hit 32 I let their contract run out.

Neymar left at 34 out of contract - picked up by Juventus they can have him.

It's the start of my teams decline others will leave this way too.

I don't very often keep players older than 30, unless they've been with the club for a long time or are goalkeepers. I just let their contract run out, one of my Defenders left at age 35, I hardly played him for the 3 seasons prior to his departure yet I'm still listed as his favoured personel. :o

My 1st team GK is 34

My 1st choice DC is 31

My MR is also 31

3 of my MC's are 34,33,32, with the 4th being 22

My 2nd choice ST is 33

And my backup defenders are 36,35 and 32

All this doesn't stop me winning the Premiership

As long as they are capable of playing well, they will keep being picked

Prevention is better than cure. Don't offer older players long contracts.

Plan ahead when offering contracts to senior players. I like to have them on contracts that run until they are 32 yrs old and then I make a judgement call on how long to extend it for.

Dont do what the AI does and offer a 32 year old a 5 year deal only for him to spend 4 years of that contract on the transfer list in the reserves with no one willing to buy him.

Prevention is better than cure. Don't offer older players long contracts.

hahaha, true, I still can't get rid of 34yo Fabregas earning 140k euros per week, though he's still a decent player no team seems to be interested in signing him

Let their contracts run out and let them go. As Hector said, don't go offering them 5-year contracts when they're 33 unless you want to keep them until they retire from playing and try and get them into coaching.

I try to model myself on Alex Ferguson so I engineer a falling out and then sack them.

I'm not getting rid of players because they get old. Still, a 32yo will get a max contract extension of 2 years, a 33yo of 1 year. Unless they're a GK off course. GK's can play just fine at high level even when they're 38.

Pure madness that at 30 years old Xabi Alonso got his badges and is now a player/coach with me at Madrid! At thirty years of age! And i could not get Kaka away from the club at all, i tried and i tried and Man City were interested but would never bid, then he got injured and no one wanted to buy him, its amazing how much value shrinks in a couple of weeks of being put on the transfer list, he was 15 million euros before being listed nd then all of a sudden he dropped to 12 million