: Wed Sep 09, 2009 8:30 pm
So all this about stealing children eh? Whats to do?
I propose that they should introduce a new system. A club signing a youth player (Under 18) who was previously on the books of another club and not formally released by that club (Gets around the issue of players quitting then signing for a big club) has to pay compensation to the other club, not depending on the player or the club they sign them from, but on the club that signs them.
For example a Champions League side would have to pay £5m to sign any youth player from a professional club. So Pogba and co would cost their new clubs £5m, adequate compensation for the development of the player. They can all more than afford it and it should stop or reduce the profiteering we see know. Big clubs are hoovering up the talent safe in ♦the knowledge that they are signing a player with a lot of potential. Either they will turn out to be good and it will have saved the club as much as £20m or they won't and the big club can sell them for a few million to a lesser club, giving them a profit on their investment.
A Prem club would have to pay £2.5m, so Everton signing Garbutt would cost them £2.5m. A Championship club maybe £250,000, and non for the rest of the leagues lower down.
The big clubs would still get the best players, but the smaller clubs wouldn't be put off developing young players in the first place.
