Why are transfers so drawn out.

[MaidenheadMick]

We've identified targets but still it drags on and on. Just over 4 weeks till the big KO. We've got an option apparently to buy Harrison Reed yet still no sign of it happening any time soon.

[Stoneleigh Loyalist]

He has been on holiday!

[Andy S]

The more money you are dealing with the longer it takes. Also players away on holidays wages to be negotiated. It takes about 3 months to buy a house why would a footballer be much less except if the window is about to close and things have to be rushed

[filham]

The more money you are dealing with the longer it takes. Also players away on holidays wages to be negotiated. It takes about 3 months to buy a house why would a footballer be much less except if the window is about to close and things have to be rushed

Ok but come the last day of the window we are usually in there picking up multi million bargain basements at very short notice and with rushed medicals that brush aside long term injuries.

[rebel]

The last minute dealing Khan Junior has picked up from Tottenham and Levy; that is such a 'bad habit'.

Our season might be 'done and dusted', before it even starts.

[SP]

Shame we can no longer use the approach we took with George Best, saved us a fortune.

[bog]

Agents hawking their players about for the best offer.

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[sarnian]

Agents hawking their players about for the best offer.

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Spoke to one of the worlds biggest  agents from the 1990's and 2000's a few years ago and he confirmed that tying up transfers were never easy and a lot went down to the wire because players, agents and clubs all tried to screw down the best deals respectively for themselves. Often deals were agreed only for one or other of the parties then trying to wring a bit more out of the deal.

[WhiteJC]

one of the problems must be akin to buying a house, the more expensive the further "up" the chain you are and therefor dependant on what happens further "down the line"

we want player A
current club will only sell player A when they've replaced him with player B
player B's club don't want to sell for the amount they've been offered
another club come in for player B
round-and-round we go

[Statto]

It's clear from the speed with which deals are done on deadline day that there's no technical reason it has to be drawn out over days, weeks or months. As others have observed, it must be down to the parties' negotiating techniques (selling clubs trying their luck with a high asking price early in the window, buying clubs trying their luck with low bids etc) and transfers sometimes being part of a chain

I've some sympathy for this, although I imagine the sensible DoFs will be focussing their dealings on more honourable, serious sellers and agents, perhaps those with whom they've existing relationships, and perhaps being prepared to be a slight premium to get a deal done quickly, and certainly not playing games with silly low bids. I don't have any inside knowledge about these things but that just seems like common sense to me.

In the past I've got the impression with some of our dealings that we can let deals drag on for much longer than they need to just to save a tiny sum of money. It must be easy to get caught up in the back-and-forth and focus on the £££, but lose sight of bigger picture factors like the benefit of new signings having a proper pre-season with their new team. 

[cmg]

What's needed is the injection of a bit more urgency in negotiations:

We sent De La Torre to Holland but we still have a couple of Lucas on the books.

[rebel]

The big problem is that we aren't clinical in the transfer market, Khan Jr took a potential transfer target to watch the tennis at Wimbeldon 3 times. Did the tranfer target sign, no. That tells it's own story.

It doesn't call for all the 'schmoozing', just conclude a transfer if the player wants to play for the greatest club on planet earth.

With limited sporting events, the greyhounds might be a highlight.

[filham]

Really expected the signing of Reed to be straightforward and completed before the players returned from the break but it now looks like even that is likely to drag on until the season starts.

[Sting of the North]

Really expected the signing of Reed to be straightforward and completed before the players returned from the break but it now looks like even that is likely to drag on until the season starts.

What has happened to make it likely to drag on for another month?

[Tabby]

West Brom just announced the signing of Pereira. Give it time until Reed is back from vacation at least.

[alfie]

Really expected the signing of Reed to be straightforward and completed before the players returned from the break but it now looks like even that is likely to drag on until the season starts.

What has happened to make it likely to drag on for another month?

Reed away on holiday, everything can be agreed but until he walks through the door and puts his signature on the contract, there is no transfer. As Gordon Davies said, after the Slav Wembley playoff the club was on the phone trying to set up transfers, but clubs did not want to know, they were holding out for as long as possible, this applied to players and agents.
Myself having work at a professional football club for many years as a coach and administrator, I would rather rely on my knowledge, and the knowledge of a professional player who has spent all his working like in football, rather than a lot of guess work.

[Sting of the North]

Really expected the signing of Reed to be straightforward and completed before the players returned from the break but it now looks like even that is likely to drag on until the season starts.

What has happened to make it likely to drag on for another month?

Reed away on holiday, everything can be agreed but until he walks through the door and puts his signature on the contract, there is no transfer. As Gordon Davies said, after the Slav Wembley playoff the club was on the phone trying to set up transfers, but clubs did not want to know, they were holding out for as long as possible, this applied to players and agents.
Myself having work at a professional football club for many years as a coach and administrator, I would rather rely on my knowledge, and the knowledge of a professional player who has spent all his working like in football, rather than a lot of guess work.

I'm with you on that. My question was more aimed at the remark about it "now being likely". To my mind, it has been equally likely or unlikely all the time, since as far as I know nothing has even been reported other than it being confirmed by TK that we did indeed have an option. Transfers are likely most often not simple, not because the actual transfer is inherently complex but for the simple fact that there are many aprties involved that all want to do as well as possible.

[Andy S]

It's all speculation. None of you have any inside knowledge and neither have I

[The Rock]

I just can't get over how expensive players are. We only a few new faces, and can even sell to buy (Seri for ex.). Just a defender or two - but Smalling for 20m at age whatever he is now is crazy. Lewis Dunk for 40m?!

Finding the unknown that can play in the PL is more difficult than ever it seems.

[Statto]

It's all speculation. None of you have any inside knowledge and neither have I

Ironically the assertion that there isn't anyone among the posters on here with any inside knowledge seems rather speculative to me