📖 From soap opera to here we go: the dictionary of the transfer market | OneFootball

Just as football has its own jargon on the pitch when we talk about "bicycle kicks," "comebacks," or "chips," it also has its own language in the pages of the sports press when transfer season arrives.

As you’d expect, the transfer market has its own rules and its own language, and these are some of the expressions that any football lover knows and has learned to love.

Free agent/at zero cost: A player without a contract, who can join any club without a transfer fee.

Market bombshell: An unexpected signing or one with a huge media impact. We remember when Rivaldo moved from Deportivo to Barcelona by surprise, or Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Al-Nassr.

Two-horse race: When two clubs are fighting for the same signing. If the clubs are rivals, we can talk about a market derby.

Loan: Temporary transfer of a player to another club, without a permanent transfer. It’s important to specify if there is a purchase option or mandatory purchase option to balance the books on time!

Release clause: The financial amount that allows a contract to be unilaterally terminated.

Talks: The preliminary stage in signing any player.

Summer saga: A long negotiation, full of rumors and twists, during the summer transfer window. For example, Kylian Mbappé’s transfer was the mother of all summer sagas and kept us on edge for several years.

Deadline Day: The last day of the transfer window, known for the heat on sporting directors’ phones and frantic moves.

Entourage: During transfer season, footballers always speak through their agent or, failing that, through their entourage. The entourage can be broad, from a close family member to a casual friend.

He’s on the agenda of…: When a player is listed as a target for a club, whether true or just a mere rumor...

He’s on the radar of…: Similar to the previous one but not yet close enough for the club to seriously consider signing the player in question.

Packing his bags: A colloquial expression to indicate that the player is about to leave the club. Although everything can change in an instant.

Financial fair play: UEFA regulations that control club spending to avoid excessive debt. FC Barcelona knows a thing or two about this term...

White smoke: When the signing is about to be finalized.

Star signing: The addition of a high-profile or renowned player.

Here we go!: The classic phrase used by market expert Fabrizio Romano to indicate the moment when every detail of the negotiation has been agreed upon and, therefore, the deal is successfully closed.

Advanced negotiations: The stage where the parties are close to an agreement, although this advanced stage can drag on for several months...

Bidding or auction: Competition between clubs to sign a player. The second term usually has a pejorative meaning. Example: Real Madrid will not enter the auction for Haaland.

Breaks the market: A signing that surprises because of its magnitude, price, or impact. Usually applies to any transfer Chelsea makes in the summer...

The deal cools off: Used to describe any setback in a player’s transfer deal.

Has one foot out/in the club: Very close to leaving or joining a club.

Ultimatum: Issued by the club to a player or vice versa when a response to the negotiation is needed and can’t be delayed any longer.

This, in broad strokes, is the dictionary of the transfer market. An essential tool you can’t do without.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

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