A question of the right valuation

There may have been a change in attitude from Airtricity League clubs, yet they still face a battle when negotiating the best possible deal for their prize assets.

What would the domestic game be like if it was able to retain its best players? Every year, several of the league’s most talented and exciting players depart for fees that are always as high as they should be.

Here is a first XI of players that have left in recent years: Brian Murphy, Seamus Coleman, Alan Bennett, Graham Gartland, Stephen Ward, Niall McGinn, Keith Fahey, Gary Deegan, Paddy McCourt, Kevin Doyle, Roy O’Donovan.

It makes one wonder about the talent that disappears from the league every season, but that is inevitable in many ways and the point is for clubs to get the right valuation for them when they do go.

Of course, everything has snowballed since Kevin Doyle left Cork City for Reading in what is largely considered one of the best ‘bargain deals’ in English football over the last number of years.

That has prompted clubs from right across Europe to flock to Airtricity League grounds searching for the ‘next Doyle’. A lot of the time they have been stunned by certain club’s reluctance to sell their best players at such low prices, but then there have been the open markets that opened up due to financial difficulties at other clubs.

For example, the turblent times at Cork City led to them selling players like John O’Flynn, Denis Behan, Dave Mooney, Colin Healy and Joe Gamble for a lot less than they were actually worth.

But clubs are no longer going to sell players if they don’t need to cash in on them. That is the attitude that Sligo Rovers boss Paul Cook is taking after Portuguese outfit Pacos Ferreira registered a bid of €30,000 for striker Padraig Amond.

“If they offer enough money for Padraig Amond, he’s going to go. I imagine Fernando Torres is going to leave Liverpool one day if they get offered the right money,” said Cook.

“I think they [Pacos Ferreira] have offered €30,000 for him, which with the best will in the world is not going to change the club.

“We’re going to lose a striker who has scored a lot of goals and we only get €30,000. Of course we don’t want to sell him. We are not trying to tout him around.”

One of the problems facing this new-found stubborness from domestic clubs is that many of their players are on one-year deals. So if they don’t accept a bid that may be launched by a potential suitor during the season, then they could lose the player for nothing at the end of the campaign.

That is a risk worth taking for many managers as they want to keep hold of their best players for as long as possible. But also, it comes down to being astute and confident when enterting into transfer talks.

Galway United manager Sean Connor certainly thinks the days of clubs snapping up the league’s most talented players for next to nothing should become a thing of the past.

“That’s what’s wrong with this league, too many of our players go across the water cheaply,” said Connor.

“If [Karl] Sheppard was playing in the Conference in England, clubs would pay at least £250,000 for him and wouldn’t blink an eye. But they come over here and try to rob us, they think we are stupid.”

Whether Airtricity League clubs can get a fair price for their players going forward remains to be seen as the financial grip forces many to sell for whatever amount they can get, while others just fall victim to the league being exploited by foreign suitors.

Perhaps the clubs should look to work more closely with the FAI and PFAI to ensure they properly negotiate deals and get the right valuation.