20 year old star striker requests transfer

I am fairly new to football and don't understand all of the nuances with transfers. Please help.

Here's my situation:

Managing Forfar for many years now and have brought them from the Scottish Third Division to their first season in the Scottish Premier League.

My star 20 year old striker has formally requested a transfer only 9 games into the season. He "wants to win trophies and feels that moving to a bigger stage is the only way to achieve his goals". His contract is up at the end of the season. He is an Englishman playing in Scotland, so maybe is eyeing the leagues in his home country.

I have offered him multiple contracts for more money than he is getting as I see that "if he is under the age of 24, he will be allowed to move on a free transfer if he is not offered a deal of equal or greater terms than his current contract".

My team is very young, average age of just 20, and I feel that if they can be kept together he will have a chance to win trophies. Have indicated that to him, but not good enough for him.

My questions are: What are his formal options? If the contract he is on expires, what happens? Do I have to grant his transfer request? Anything else, that I should know?

Thanks, as always.

How long does his contract runs? 6, 9 12 months? When he has 6 months or less any team (except UK) can offer him a contract and he will leave for nothing. For the UK this is 1 month.

To answer if you should accept his request, it is up to you, make some money or use him to gain success and maybe he will stay. difficult choice.

First of all well done for getting Forfar to the SPL. I cant imagine that was easy?

In terms of your striker dilema I dont think there is much you can do to make him stay. If he is adamant that he wants to leave then Im afraid my advice would either be to sell him the January transfer window or ask him to wait until the end of the season.

As I understand if a player under 24 moves clubs at the end of his contract then compensation must be paid to the players departing club, although someone may very well make me look a fool shortly!

If his contract expires, he is free to leave the club and sign for whoever he wishes, if he hasn't already agreed to sign for a club when it expires (clubs can offer him contracts from a few months before it actually expires)

You don't have to grant his request, but if he is adamant that he wants to go and won't sign a new contract no matter how much you offer him, your best bet is to try to sell him, because, like I said above, he will be able to leave for free come the end of the season, so you may as well get some money for him

As the other people have said you don't have to grant his transfer request but it's best to grant his request and get rid of him. You won't get a lot of money as his contract runs out soon, but try to get a big % of future transfer or % profit of future transfer.

6 months before his contract runs out non Scottish teams will be able to offer him contracts for a free transfer, if that happens then offer him a better new contract as this should force the club to pay you compensation if they sign him so you get a little money at least. The compensation thing is confusing to me as there have been times I tried to sign a player and it says I would have to pay compensation but another EU club comes in and signs them seemingly without paying any compensation. It's best not to let it get that far, when offering players contracts you can generally add 1-2 years to the length and they will still sign it. Long term contracts are your friend when using youngsters as they can change their mind after asking for a transfer but I still ship them out to avoid harming team unity.

Sounds like, you are already doing what you can to keep hold of the player.

You can if you can afford it offer him a contract with him being paid more money just a little more that he's paidi now he might accept it if he's rejecting your bids. Short time contract then, next time pay him less some times, they want less money. On the next contract offer.

Reject all offers made for him, issue a hands off warning to the media.

Up his transfer price. So if you loose player say he's worth £10k sell him for £800k

Some times I do this and it helps. I can keep the player in the press conferences I say that I can keep hold of the player. However its 50/50 with me, when I am in the same boat. Just keep an eye out on loanees or transfers in case. Though it can be down to pot luck, win some loose some, you know.

You can if your able, don't play him all the time. So if he has too much lime light it can be good bye. If they play too little then they'll leave for more first team oppurtunities. Play the player no and then if your able. He might forget about it maybe the AI managers if they're after him.

However going by your above comments, it does appear that he wants to move on. So if I were you I'd be prepared to replace him, he could be feeling that he wants to play at a better known team, one of his favourite clubs. You might of performed very well, and you have. Though the player may still want to be move away say to Celtic or Rangers, maybe Barcalona or some huge worldly known team.

How long does his contract runs? 6, 9 12 months? When he has 6 months or less any team (except UK) can offer him a contract and he will leave for nothing. For the UK this is 1 month

But if a player is in Scotland the other UK nations can also get hi when he has 6 months or less left of his contract. And the same with England, Northern Ireland & Wales.

What is his current squad status? You could try offering him a new contract with a more improved squad status. A contract with some realistic release clauses might also encourage him to sign a new contract. If this fails then you should try and sell him before he has six months remaining on his contract.

There is not much you can do if he wants to leave, other than sell him and recoup some money or keep him until his contract runs out. By which time he'll be a free agent and leave on a free.

A bit of advice for the future, many clubs in real life by principle try and make sure a player has always 2 years to run on his contract. If they get beyond to this point and refuse to sign a new contract, the club can sell the player and escape the danger of him leaving the club for nothing. Usually players with only a year left on their contract can be sold for cut-prices. The problem with trying to renew contracts early is some players dither about saying they might sign a new contract and run their current contract down.

Outstanding answers. Great information. I feel that I should comment on a few of the comments left for me. I am still unclear about what the statement in the offer about him leaving on a free if he is under 24 and not offered equal or money means.

How long does his contract runs? 6, 9 12 months?

It is late October in my save. His contract runs out June 30th.

First of all well done for getting Forfar to the SPL. I cant imagine that was easy?

Thank you. It was a ton of fun. I drive a lot in my job and found my mind wandering and planning strategies as the kilometers ticked away. Really a great distraction.

You don't have to grant his request, but if he is adamant that he wants to go and won't sign a new contract no matter how much you offer him

I've offered him the maximum my board will allow. It will make him my highest paid player by at least 50%, if he accepted. He has turned it down.

try to get a big % of future transfer or % profit of future transfer.

Great tip. Thanks.

So if you loose player say he's worth £10k sell him for £800k

Does the price I set determine the compensation if he goes? He is under 24.

What is his current squad status? You could try offering him a new contract with a more improved squad status. A contract with some realistic release clauses might also encourage him to sign a new contract. If this fails then you should try and sell him before he has six months remaining on his contract.

He is currently an "Important First Team Player", but the contract offers that I've made all bump him to "Key Player". Thanks for the other tips too.

A bit of advice for the future, many clubs in real life by principle try and make sure a player has always 2 years to run on his contract. If they get beyond to this point and refuse to sign a new contract, the club can sell the player and escape the danger of him leaving the club for nothing.

Outstanding advice. As I'm not that exposed to European football (I live in Canada), I had zero concept of how this works. Haven't ever had a player that I wanted want to leave before now.

I will let everyone know how it goes. My inclination is to try to move him in the January transfer window if I won't get compensation in June. If I get some money for him in June, then I will keep him as he should be a big help. Did I mention that he is my vice-captain? Really p*ss*s me off.

Having read through your responses to the responses you got (no idea if that makes sense, it's stupid o'clock) I would say that the only option you really have available to you now is to try and offload him in the Winter transfer window, getting as much as you can for him. In the meantime, I would be searching for a replacement, with a view to signing them in the window too, that way you minimise the amount of time with a backup player on the pitch

Dont wait until winter window to make a transfer deal tho, if your gonna sell him make sure you do it asap, cos January comes no club will want to pay money for a player that they can have for free by just having to wait a few months.

Not saying you should do this, but thought i'd let you know about an old trick I used to use in previous fm games,,, If theres currently no other clubs interested in this player and he's not a high profile player then release him from his contract so he has no club, he will not be so cocky and you should be able to re-sign him to a longer contract as long as no bigger club offers him a contract, but is still a very big gamble to make, but has worked for me in the past.

I have sort of run into the same problem as you have on my current game. My top scorer, second best midfielder and currently my only specialist right back all want out. Now having played older FM games I knew this was going to happen and I signed almost my entire team to 5 year contracts at the end of last season even though they had 3-4 years left on their current deals.

I have managed to get away with my right back signing a massive new contract (on 5 times as much money) and being reassured I am looking to match their amibition. My top scorer got annoyed when I wouldn't let him go to Tottenham, which was untrue I was happy for him to leave for £20m plus a 50% sell on fee, but he has forgotten about that now but won't sign a new contract so I will have to sell him in 1-2 years time. My midfielder actually asked to be transfered listed which I granted and then dropped him to the reserves where he is now languishing with no interest from other clubs. He still has 4 years on his contract so he might change his mind, but I'll probably sell him off relatively cheaply with a 50% sell on fee as I have 4-5 other youngsters who are just about to break into the first team in his position.

Now you sya your knowledge of European football is a bit lacking, so a good tip is that if you are not a big club that you need to have 2 or 3 youngsters at the club that can take the place of a player in your first team. You need to be convayer belt of young talent as your best players are always going to want to leave for a bigger club, so if your 20 or 21 star player wants to leave then you need to have an 18 year old who you are training up to take his place and ideally a 15 or 16 year who can replace that 18 year old when he wants to leave. I have found that is the easiest way to cement your teams place in the top divisions. When you start challenging for European glory the players will be happy to stick around, unless you are in a league that the game rates as rubbish i.e. not one of the big 4.

I can't bring myself to sell the striker. Accepted a $600K offer, but cancelled it.

Forfar is surprisingly above the relegation fight and he has been scoring. I'm afraid that moving him on will cost the team a chance to stay up. I don't quite have a replacement ready and am going to have to accept that I will lose him for nothing.

I did sell my ML last year's D1 POTY for $475K, a record for my team, as he would not resign either. The difference is the backup ML is almost as good and we have some other depth in that position.

UPDATE: It is now December 20th and somehow we have signed (on a free) an incredible looking AMR/ST from Iran. First time ever successfully appealing a declined work permit. Not sure why he was allowed, and almost didn't hit the "Appeal" button, but will be happy to welcome him to the team. Breaks my O for 100+ appeals string. Ironically, was thinking of asking if anyone had every successfully appealed a declined work permit.

Anyway, back to my alternate reality, my 20 year old star has been sulking since I declined his transfer and playing subpar. I have decided to offer him to clubs and hope that someone will bite in the 10 days before he is into the expiring contract zone. If I get a bite great, if not, I have depth for the rest of the season.

UPDATE: It is now December 20th and somehow we have signed (on a free) an incredible looking AMR/ST from Iran. First time ever successfully appealing a declined work permit. Not sure why he was allowed, and almost didn't hit the "Appeal" button, but will be happy to welcome him to the team. Breaks my O for 100+ appeals string. Ironically, was thinking of asking if anyone had every successfully appealed a declined work permit.

Anyway, back to my alternate reality, my 20 year old star has been sulking since I declined his transfer and playing subpar. I have decided to offer him to clubs and hope that someone will bite in the 10 days before he is into the expiring contract zone. If I get a bite great, if not, I have depth for the rest of the season.

Personally, I think you may have made a mistake in not selling him when you had the chance. Fair play to you in getting what looks like a good freebie replacement, but the extra cash could always have come in useful

As for the WP appeal thing, I have had games where every appeal works and others where none work, I think it is linked into the level you are playing at, ie Appealing for a player who is coming to an EPL club is more likely to work he will, more often than not, have a decent rep, whereas is it vice versa for leagues of a lower standard