A record-breaking summer of transfers

(published in Slovak Sport Daily)

Although the summer football transfer window is only halfway through, one thing is already clear: the total transfer fees for Slovak footballers in the summer of 2016 have reached a record high—even without a move from the most valuable of them all, Marek Hamšík. While actual figures often differ from those publicly reported, national team players Škrtel (Fenerbahce Istanbul), Mak (Zenit St. Petersburg), Duda (Hertha Berlin), Hubočan (Olympique Marseille), Greguš (FC Copenhagen), wider squad member Bero (Trabzonspor), and youth international Bénes (Borussia Mönchengladbach) have together moved for over €20 million. It’s encouraging that four of these transfers involved a step up to stronger leagues in Western Europe. Germany and France are excellent destinations, and Mak’s move also brought him to a top-tier club in a stronger competition. Another national team regular, Ďurica, also joined Trabzonspor as a free agent. Their performances in European Championship qualifying and the final tournament certainly helped boost their value.

The risk in the three Turkish transfers isn’t sporting. Fenerbahce ranks among the world’s top clubs by several metrics (it was among the top 20 by revenue just three years ago), and Trabzonspor sits comfortably in the upper half of the Turkish league. The concern is more geopolitical, as the country remains under a state of emergency following an attempted coup.

A particularly positive development is that two seven-figure transfers came directly from the Slovak premier league. Until now, transfers worth over €1 million from Slovakia’s top league were rare—and in recent years, virtually nonexistent. Even better news is that clubs that trained these players between the ages of 12 and 23 will now receive FIFA solidarity payments of considerable value. For smaller clubs, this is a powerful incentive. Developing a player who eventually commands a six- or even seven-figure transfer fee is a worthwhile investment—whether the payoff comes in a few years or in a decade or more.

Looking at the numbers, it would be unrealistic to expect this level of transfer activity among national team players to repeat in every upcoming transfer window. Škrtel had long-standing offers, and Klopp’s arrival at Liverpool sealed his departure. Duda was already halfway out of Poland. Hubočan’s team was relegated from the Russian top division. Ďurica’s contract simply expired. That said, it would be fantastic to inch closer to the Croatian model, where high-value transfers are far more common. In the FIFA rankings, they are only a few spots ahead of Slovakia.

A promising trend could be the increasing number of high-value transfers involving young players directly from Slovakia or neighboring leagues, driven by the recent success of Slovakia’s youth national teams and the availability of first-team opportunities for top domestic talents. If these players succeed in higher-quality foreign leagues, the national team will benefit, Slovak clubs will profit from future solidarity payments—and the entire Slovak football ecosystem stands to gain.