In the midst of the transfer window madness that every summer and January brings, there is usually one or two stories that capture your imagination and leave you thinking ‘Jesus, what if?’ As an Irish football fan, there was a period of a few years post-Keane and Duff where the highlights for our leading international players were moves to steady Championship clubs, or a loan away from their Premier League side.
But not this year…
This year, Evan Ferguson is in the mix. Look at the current market value of a 6’3” centre-forward that can lead the line, is technically good, has the goalscoring attributes and numbers to back it. And probably most importantly, proven Premier League experience under his belt, one would feel that Evan is probably – in the current market – close to being a £100m player. And if that is the case and a huge club decide to go after him, such is the nature of these deals is that Bohemians may be in line for anything up to £10m should he make a move.
For years, I have been a huge advocate for players leaving these shores for money that doesn’t match the player’s potential or true value. Damien Duff has been beating the drum on this for a while now, particularly since teams started sniffing around his crown jewel - Jack Moylan.
It begs the question - are sell-on fees the only way League of Ireland clubs can truly get value from transfers?
In 2007, Cork City’s high-flying winger Roy O’Donovan, was sold to Sunderland for a League of Ireland record transfer fee of £500,000. That’s right, folks. In 2007, the record transfer fee was £500,000 – pennies you’d think. Now, think of how the price of a commodity has risen significantly. Think about what you're paying for electricity, gas, petrol/diesel, milk, a loaf of bread or a turnover now, and then compare it to the cost of that commodity back in 2007. That’s not even mentioning inflation.
Fast-forward 11 years, and Gavin Bazunu moves from Shamrock Rovers to Manchester City for £420,000 – an absolute steal. Fast-forward another couple of years, City sell Bazunu to Southampton for £20m. Stop the lights, lads. City watched Bazunu enough to know that they were getting a high-potential, then-£5m player for a fraction of that. This is not me having a go at shrewd business on behalf of City, more so at Rovers for perhaps not knowing the value of their player.
Don’t get me wrong – there are always variables when it comes down to these transfers, things like contract lengths, players having a desire to move, agents’ influence, player age etc. But gone are the days when a naked eye would cast a view on a player and make a recommendation. Nowadays, with the abundance of data available to sides, the process has evolved. You have to feel that if League of Ireland sides are not utilising these resources to determine the valuation of their own prized assets, they will continue to get peanuts for them.
Not every player that moves from the league goes on to have the potential of Ferguson or Bazunu, or even the longevity of an Enda Stevens or James McClean. However, I think clubs in the top four tiers of English football have looked at Ireland as a nearby breeding ground of players that they can take a risk on. For these clubs, these players are cheap assets (bought for anything from £20,000-200,000) that a risk can be taken on, with the worst case scenario being shaking hands at the end of a few years if things don’t work out. On the flip side to that, you could have players like Stevens and McClean who are bought for similar figures, and go on to have a steady career at these levels – generating transfer fees and sell-on percentages for their clubs. The very, very best case scenario is a Ferguson or Bazunu – players that were bought for nothing and WILL be sold for the millions in multiples.
For me, there must be a joined approach with the league and each club to ensure that clubs are getting suitable values for their players. This would of course take time and incredible discipline, but it would also instil an unwritten rule for agents operating within our league, and become a familiar clause for players to consider when negotiating a contract. My thinking on this is if a team really wants you, they should pay the going rate and not see you as an asset that they can flog on in 12 months for a €100,000 profit – a profit that really should have gone to the League of Ireland team they bought you from.
Recently in the League of Ireland, there was a case where a player chose to sign for a club because they agreed to decrease his minimum release fee to €40,000. This is the kind of nonsense that ends up with teams sliding perilously towards administration or going under – a race to the bottom.
When clubs are pitching themselves to players, even if they agree on a minimum release clause of €100,000 - which to be honest is still a little low – they need to ensure that their own bases are covered when selling an asset. That would be a start.
LOI Updates:
In the League of Ireland last week, as predicted, my two former clubs served up what was the game of the week in Dalymount Park. I could watch Bohs and Derry City play every week. The bring high-octane, high-risk, confident, punch-for-punch football – much like the good old days when Liverpool and Newcastle ties would finish 4-3!
You only have to look back at some of the recent ties between the sides – the standout tie being a 3-3 draw in 2021, when our own Georgie Kelly broke Derry hearts with a Van Basten-esqe finish right at the death. Or the 3-2 win for Derry last season. This expansive, high-risk football is a joy to watch, and truthfully, a complete contrast to much of the football I have watched in recent times.
Is it just me, or is it becoming boring at times? I do intend on scratching the surface of that question in the next few weeks. How football is dying a slow death compared to other sports by becoming too slow, too structured. Much like player interviews being robotic, it almost seems as if they’re programmed to be like that on the pitch too.
Back to the match, and apart from a hairy opening 15 minutes, it was another strong performance from Ruaidhri Higgins’ side. If there was any hangover from the double penalty shootout exits the week previous, it must have vanished after the opening stages in Dalymount, and despite only coming away with a share of the spoils, I feel a draw may prove a good result for Derry in the run-in.
Derry’s fixtures in that run-in, compared to Rovers, matched with the momentum they are building domestically, may prove telling. And should the players be able to continue the level of performance they have shown since playing KuPS away from home, I believe they will give themselves a very good chance of claiming a first Premier Division title since 1997.
The other ties played out as anticipated. Drogheda United displayed great character to come from behind to beat Cork City 3-1 – character which I believe will help them see off Bohemians in the FAI Cup in a few weeks. St Pat’s stumbled across the line against relegation-stricken UCD, a result which will fire a warning to Derry City that their game in hand must not be taken for granted; while Shamrock Rovers picked up a much-needed three points against Dundalk.
What’s next?
Looking ahead, you have to look into results and how these results transpire to get a gauge on what to expect coming into the last round of games. Since that late Will Patching penalty against Sligo in July, Derry City look like a different team. There has been a growth in confidence and an improvement in performance. Players have returned from injury to complement the new signings, and they are getting better and better at the right time.
This week, they face a Dundalk team that are in a much better place than the last time the teams met. Stephen O’Donnell’s side performed well in Tallaght last week, creating a number of chances and will be annoyed at taking nothing from the game. In a tight affair, you could be forgiven for thinking a draw is on the cards. A wise man once told me draws aren’t worth much – you’re better going for it and trying to get the win rather than settle for a draw. I see Derry doing that this week.
Shamrock Rovers have the likes of Trevor Clarke, Jack Byrne, Neil Farrugia and Rory Gaffney all back form injury and look up to speed again. The talisman Byrne and Farrugia will likely be hitting full fitness by the trip to the Brandywell in a couple of weeks, but before then, there is a small matter of a Dublin derby against Bohemians this week. Having featured in these games myself, form really does go out the window, but confidence is at the fore of the Bohs camp right now and they’ll fancy themselves on Friday – particularly with an in-form Jonathan Afolabi leading the line.
I would love your thoughts on this, as always - check out my Twitter account at @charlie14stands
