When it comes to high-value footballers, sometimes it pays for a board to be proactive in planning a sale.
Norwich City are increasingly well-versed in sanctioning high-profile departures for big profits — and Emiliano Buendia is the latest case.
Aware of Buendia’s ambitions, Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber sat down with the player and his agent early on last season, before Christmas, to map out an eventual exit, whether or not the club ended up winning promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. By instigating the process, Norwich believed they were taking control of the situation and avoiding bad blood.
Pricing parameters were discussed and, impressed by Norwich’s co-operation, Buendia was fully on board for the rest of last season. Head coach Daniel Farke made subtle comments in the media, implying the club would be open to selling Buendia when the summer window opened. Nevertheless, securing promotion put Norwich in a strong financial position and the Argentinian’s agent was told the fee that took his client away from Carrow Road needed to “start with a three”.
Aston Villa were the first to place a serious bid. Rival interest from Arsenal then lifted Norwich’s hopes of getting close to their ideal price of £40 million. An Arsenal bid of £30 million plus £5 million in potential add-ons exceeded Villa’s by £2 million of add-ons. Webber informed Villa chief executive Christian Purslow of the counter-offer from north London and outlined the bid that would seal Buendia’s services without this becoming an auction.
Purslow rang back and improved Villa’s proposal to £33 million plus £5 million add-ons, and the deal was further sweetened with a 10 per cent sell-on clause (Buendia is only 24). By the time Richard Garlick, Arsenal’s director of football operations, tried to intervene again, the player was already in Birmingham for his Villa medical. The whole process took a fortnight.
Buendia was sold promptly after the end of last season, the deal done in June, but at this late stage of a window, a message from a club saying they want a player to leave can cause serious time issues. The call comes and if a buyer is to be found, you have only a few days to react and dig around.
“But,” says one experienced English agent, “if you’re any good at your job, then you already know who likes your player. You’d never tell anyone that, but if you’re a good agent then you know who’s got an eye on him. You know who you can call and start the conversation with. It doesn’t mean it’ll lead anywhere, but you’re not starting from scratch.”