Proven Tips for Selling Players That Work for Me

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After a long break, I’m back with the next chapter of my FM story about Partizan, with a major focus on player transfers.

I believe my tips can be useful for newcomers to Football Manager, which is the main goal of this blog.

Before diving in further, I’d like to share the results I’ve achieved with my beloved club this season.

Maximize Player Sale Value

Samed Bazdar’s market value stood at €4M, yet he was sold for an impressive €14.75M to VfB Stuttgart. How?

I previously mentioned that Partizan faced serious financial difficulties. This led me to focus on giving opportunities to young players in order to secure a few profitable outgoing transfers.

After three seasons at the club, I finally saw €30.5M flow into the club’s coffers from player sales.

Let’s turn back to Samed Bazdar. He’s a classic striker who delivered impressive results last season: 29 total appearances, 10 goals, 3 assists, 3 Player of the Match, and an average rating of 7.06.

The Serbian Superleague currently holds the 12th spot in European rankings!

With proper guidance during training and carefully selected tasks, I aimed to develop a versatile player capable of performing across multiple positions, with the goal of enhancing specific attributes.

The final phase involved working on player preferred moves (traits):

  • Run with ball down right;
  • Moves into channels;
  • Likes to try to beat offside trap
  • Cuts inside from left wing.

How to Sell Player for Big Money?

The first step is understanding the true market value of a young, talented player—beyond the figures seen in games.

In the Balkans, prices typically range from €5-25M, assuming the club’s management acts in the team’s best interests.

Dinamo Zagreb is a prime example with their exceptional outgoing transfers!

I assessed that this player shouldn’t leave the club for less than €10M, with a more realistic valuation of around €15M.

The key then was to be patient and wait for the right offer, avoiding any temptation to put him on the transfer list.

Soon enough, Chelsea came in with a €5M offer.

I accepted, knowing it would set the bait for other interested clubs. As expected, four more offers quickly followed, pushing the price up to €10M.

Unfortunately, the player chose Chelsea, but I blocked the transfer! This led to dissatisfaction, and he demanded to be transfer-listed.

I agreed, but this time there were over ten foreign clubs competing for Samed Bazdar’s signature.

In the end, I set a €15M price tag, and VfB Stuttgart came closest. Not to mention, 30% of the profit from his next transfer will belong to Partizan. The bottom line?

You need a strategy for outgoing transfers – there are no quick or easy tricks.

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Fierce Rivals – Red Star?

When it comes to Red Star, we’ve achieved solid results: 2x hard-fought draws (H) and 1x win (A).

These matches bring me the most joy, knowing the fans and the board have their eyes on every move made on the pitch.

The monthly reports can be quite intriguing, especially considering past seasons when I suffered five defeats and managed just two wins against Red Star.

Yet, I managed to keep my job thanks to significant progress within the club (both organisationally and competitively).

Competitions

We won the double this season, lifting both the league title and the national cup, ending Red Star’s long reign.

We were fortunate that key players stayed injury-free, which was crucial to our success.

I’ve always prioritised having players fit for the most important matches.

Missing three points in the league is a small price to pay compared to losing a key player for months.

However, achieving this balance is never as easy as it sounds.

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to qualify for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League, but we found consolation in securing a spot in the UEFA Conference League.

Match of the Season

The match against Fiorentina was truly the match of the season! We lost 2-0 at home, and away it finished 3-2.

What stood out to me was the courage shown by our young players, even though they don’t have much European experience under their belts.

They played with real heart against a heavily favoured Fiorentina side.

Bogdan Mircetic (19) was absolutely superb as an attacking midfielder on the right and scored a goal.

There’s no doubt that he has a bright future ahead of him at Partizan.

Conclusion

Samed Bazdar has chosen Chelsea as the next step in his career, but it may not be the most sensible decision.

Frequent loan spells and limited chances of breaking into the First Team make it a risky option.

There’s no denying that every player dreams of attracting the interest of a big club, but the competition for places at Chelsea is fierce.

In reality, Partizan could have been liable for some penalties, as an agreement was reached between the player and the club, and their offer was accepted on our side.

However, I was presented with the option to “block/reject” the transfer, and I decided to halt the move.

Thank you for your attention and time!

Author: Alen Stefanovic     Game: Football Manager 2023