Welcome to issue #008 of Contemporary Football, your inside look at how the game really works behind the scenes.
Monday to Friday, you’ll uncover a new perspective on football business, and sometimes a deeper story that sharpens your thinking and gives you an edge in the beautiful game.
If you need support on your football journey, just write me.
Hey everyone,
I’m sure most of you don’t like the international break :)
I have written a 40-page guide on Player Trading strategies and frameworks.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about it.
Player Trading is what I study the most and what I’m most involved in at the moment.
And the transfer structure I’m talking about today is one to replicate.
It’s about the transfer of Aleksander Stankovic from FC Inter to Club Brugge.
The Numbers
Inter → Brugge: €9.5m
Buy-back clause: €23–25m (valid in 2026 or 2027)
Sell-on percentage: retained by Inter
Simple structure.
What do you think?
Why Inter can’t lose
Scenario 1 – They don’t buy him back
€9.5m pure profit on a homegrown player
Plus sell-on % if Brugge resells
Scenario 2 – They buy him back
Get a Champions League-tested player
Already knows the system, culture, and expectations
He also knows the coach Chivu, as they were together in Inter’s academy
Either way, they win.
Why Brugge can’t lose
Scenario 1 – Inter buys him back
€13–15m profit in one/two seasons
The player helped them compete domestically and in Europe
Scenario 2 – Inter doesn’t buy back
They own a player potentially worth €30m+
Full control of a fast-rising asset
Either way, they win.
What most clubs still miss
Smart clubs design transfers with three non-negotiables:
Downside protection: worst case = neutral
Multiple winning scenarios
Aligned incentives: both clubs benefit if the player thrives
Too many clubs still treat transfers as zero-sum games.
One wins. One loses.
That thinking belongs in 1997.
The new reality
Stop asking: “Did we get a good price?”
Start asking: “Can we lose in any scenario?”
If the answer is yes… restructure the deal.
Add buy-backs.
Retain sell-on percentages.
Structure conditional payments.
Given that most clubs make most of their money by trading players…
Make losing IMPOSSIBLE!
This should be the goal of a transfer.
Think about how cool the idea is that you win in every deal.
How shall we define the perfect deal for a club?
It’s the deal that creates value that compounds…
For everyone involved.
❓Question for you:
What’s the smartest transfer structure you’ve seen recently?
See you tomorrow,
Federico