If you register for free, you will be able to post threads, vote on polls and lots more. If you have problems with the registration or logging in, please contact the administrator.
After reading a few posts by managers struggling to sell their players, I thought I would share my experience in hopes that they're help others out.
Since I tend to adhere to the "shotgun style" of youth development by constantly purchasing loads of young talent from all over the globe, I always end up with many players who are never good enough for my full team. By following the below list of rules, I've been fairly successful in turning a poor club into a rich one by selling players for substantial profits:
(1) Loan players out to increase their reputation and exposure. The more times a guy sees game time, the more he advertises himself. The same applies to playing time in your first team; however this can often mean sacrificing some results by playing a substandard player.
(2) Transfer list the player and set his status to "not needed". This is especially critical if the player's morale is high and he is not looking to leave the club. It's basically your way of telling him that he should look elsewhere if he wants to see the field.
(3) Offer the player to clubs at a value a little less than what you expect to sell him for. The number and value of responses you get will give you a good indication of how much you will be able to sell the player for. If any club matches the full amount of your offer, decline and re-offer the player to clubs for significantly more. Similarly, if you receive a large number of offers for close to the original offer, decline and re-offer the player to clubs for a little more.
(4) Always look to sell players early in the summer. In my experience this seems to be the time when teams are the most interested in signing new players and also when they seem to have the most money for purchases. Also, at this time of year (for most clubs) you can be patient and wait for the best deal without feeling rushed by the transfer window.
(6) Young players tend to sell exponentially better than older players. Blame it on the hope of youth developing into a superstar or the realization that you get more playing years out of a kid, but I've frequently sold a 20 year old who will peak at a low 2nd division talent level for more than what clubs are willing to pay for a 27 year old mid 1st division talent level.
(7) Non-world class Players from outside the "big" nations tend to be worth a decent percentage more in a sale because they're more willing to move to non-big countries, and hence attract more bidders. For example, Romanians, Belgians, and Czechs tend to be easier to sell and get higher fees than the equivalent Spaniards, Englishmen, or Italians.
Originally posted by hyperion479:
After reading a few posts by managers struggling to sell their players, I thought I would share my experience in hopes that they'll help others out.
I'd also add "Don't expect to get the player's listed worth."
I think a lot of people look at that number, and expect that they should be able to get that.
I look at it the other way around: if I've decided to sell a player, that's the most I'm going to get for him, and I'll probably have to sell him below that number.
If I'm making an unsolicited bid, that's the minimum I'm going to have to pay to get him, and I'll probably have to go well above that number.
Simple economics, really: supply and demand. If I have a supply of 1 and a demand of 0, I need to lower the price .... if I have a demand of 1 and a supply of 0, I need to raise the price
JAStewart:
Actually, (5) is the secret to selling players, as well as life. But I can't put that sort of power in just anyone's hands...
Bah, I guess I'll just blame my typo and inability to count on late afternoon doldrums. Circadian rhythm and all that.
Amaroq:
Great point that I frequently forget since I'm usually selling undervalued youngsters. The older and more established a player is, the more likely you'll get less in a sale than the value next to his name. But after a while the experienced seller can get a feel for a players "real" market value since his given value rarely coincides with how much he'd sell for.
Where the game is unfair though is that Human Managers can only offload players at low prices but if you want to buy you have to pay over the odds..
Example. I needed a DM and went for Alou Diarra which cost me a whopping 9 Million. Months later I don't need him so I try and sell and get a measly 4.5 Million. Another Club has a player I want and are looking for a DM so I try an exchange, still no luck. Prices are too high to buy and too low to sell, it makes it very difficult to make profit at a Club.
A Brief Guide to Selling Players 
Linear Mode
