Football agents accuse clubs of double standards over player contracts

Agents have accused clubs of double-standards over two of the biggest deals this summer, with pressure piled on players to move to a different club before the end of their contract.

Conor Gallagher has agreed a move to Atletico Madrid in Spain after it was made clear he risked being left out of the first-team squad if he did not sign a new deal, with a year remaining on his existing terms.

Manchester United’s Leny Yoro, meanwhile, moved from Lille after the French club’s president described the youngster as having an “exit voucher” this summer due being in the last year of his contract. That effectively ruled out waiting for a dream move to Real Madrid in one year.

Several intermediaries have spoken to Telegraph Sport over the power being in the hands of clubs when it comes to keeping and selling players even when they are tied to contracts.

One leading agent said: “Everyone is brought up to honour contracts and when a players signs a deal they intend to see it through.

“But clubs are in a position where they can put pressure on a player to break their terms and sign elsewhere. When a player wants to break their contract, they may not be able to. And it is the clubs who put pressure on players to sign deals in the first place.”

Gallagher and Yoro are two of the biggest deals of the summer so far, with both players having a year left on their deals which meant they were within sight of a Bosman move as a free agent which would have seen their clubs miss out on a transfer fee.

England midfielder Gallagher, 24, saw new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca sign Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall after working with him at Leicester, which would have limited first-team opportunities given the competition in the squad.

Yoro, 18, was a major transfer coup for United given the competition for the teenager, with the total package being worth £58.8million. Real Madrid have been looking at the France Under-21 international but Spanish sources suggested a 2025 move was their preference, although Lille publicly stated the player was available this summer.

Had he stayed at the Ligue 1 outfit, Yoro could have negotiated a pre-contract with his next club in January, as he would have been six months away from his deal expiring.

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