Negotiations in FM 2012 are awful

What is the point of a negotiation option when the computer AI simply doesn't negotiate? It happens way too often that I try to sign a player or renew a contract and the player/agent never budges whatsoever from the original offer. I understand it's supposed to be realistic but at this point why even include a negotiation option if the AI never lowers their demand whatsoever!

Your relationship with the agent matters, your relationship with the player matters, how much you pay the agent will affect how flexible they are in regards to everything else, if theres one thing you dont wish to negotiate on, lock it (you will end up paying more elsewhere, but may still fit your budget).

I always offer the player & agent a hefty sign on bonus so I can offer a wage way under what they want

They always accept a lower offer from me, sometimes quite a lot lower.

I have to agree with the OP. I've had a lot of problems with players refusing to budge from their wage demands.

Normally offering a large loyalty/signing bonus can help decrease their wage demands.

I always offer the player & agent a hefty sign on bonus so I can offer a wage way under what they want

Have found that if you lowball ridiculously on your first offer they are more likely to not budge from their opening position than if you are reasonable. Also, sometimes you just have to make an offer non-negotiable and realise that you are being played - more often than not, they will accept.

There's probably truth in that this is realistic of what goes on these days. It is annoying, but that's greed for you. Also I think just about every player's wage demands have gone up, just because of the inflation in real life.

They always accept a lower offer from me, sometimes quite a lot lower.

agreed i once got a player to accept an offer 20k less then his original deamands

btw i love contract negotiations

agreed i once got a player to accept an offer 20k less then his original deamands

btw i love contract negotiations

I think you need to get out more.

I'm not finding this. My negotiations often drag out over 6 or 7 rounds with different demand each time. Admittedly more often than not we don't come to an agreement because they're too damn greedy - but I would think that, wouldn't I?

The ones who do play nicely are my young kids who don't have agents and have the club and/or me on their favoured lists. Usually I'll reduce whatever they ask for the the lowest on the drop-down (wage, appearance fee, % rise per year/promotion) and they accept happily. Cheers lads!

Finding hard and/or frustrating negotiations with stubborn and unrealistic agents and players? Well ... welcome to a better simulation of what real managers are facing ... live with it, or find another job

In case you haven't noticed, FM is more a simulation, than a game. Well, it's both.

I think you need to get out more.

jealous?

jealous?

Totally. Don't have FM12.

Totally. Don't have FM12.

Huh? The guy who doesn't have this game yet still wastes his life on this forum thinks someone else needs to get out more?

I hope you were joking!

Huh? The guy who doesn't have this game yet still wastes his life on this forum thinks someone else needs to get out more?

I hope you were joking!

I have a stalker.

I actually love the negotiating and have found myself to be driving hard bargains for the mercenaries I try to sign.

I actually love the negotiating and have found myself to be driving hard bargains for the mercenaries I try to sign.

same as me

I've found the negotiations to be reasonable. The best thing is to have an idea what you want to ultimately pay, then start with a realistic lower figure, and then slowly move closer to their demands. I generally try to "split the difference" between their demands and what I'm offering. I find this works for both player contracts and transfer offers.

One very important thing to realize when negotiating contracts is that it is in fact a negotiation. - I have seen players and agents suddenly accept offers of about half their initial demands when I have offered the exact same wage 4 times in a row. Once they start saying that we are close to an agreement I simply offer the same contract over and over 3 times. If they still didnt accept I raise wages and bonuses just a little and I almost always have the fourth offer accepted.

the thing that drives me mad is how they NEVER budge on the amount they want for a minimum release fee. sometimes i offer 10k/20k/50k extra a month, double the loyalty bonus and give them almost every other perk available but usually that's never good enough coz they won't let me increase their minimum fee clause by a SINGLE POUND.

but when it comes to getting wage demands down, i've saved myself millions.

Have found that if you lowball ridiculously on your first offer they are more likely to not budge from their opening position than if you are reasonable. Also, sometimes you just have to make an offer non-negotiable and realise that you are being played - more often than not, they will accept.

I found offering far less than what they want, then offer a little bit more, then a little bit more (they are still asking for stupid money at this point), then lowball them with a ridiculously low offer, they sometimes bring their wage demands right down.