Real has insured its players with insane buyouts, Messi is more accessible

Most Slovak players do not have a release clause in their contracts. Lobotka has the highest.

In connection with Neymar’s record transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain, much attention was paid to his staggering release clause of 222 million euros, which was thought to be unreachable. “The revenues of the wealthiest football clubs grow steadily by eight to ten percent every year. If the growth is healthy, then transfer fees logically rise as well. Neymar’s transfer, however, is an extreme case and could lead to overpricing of average players,” said sports lawyer Jozef Tokos.

Players from La Liga are most often associated with release clauses. The leaders are Barcelona and Real Madrid, who together have 13 players valued at 200 million euros or more. “Spain is unique in that, unlike other leagues, clauses are mandatory in contracts by regulation,” Tokos noted. A player who wants to leave has the option to terminate the validity of his contract. Every player’s contract includes a provision stating how much money the parent club must receive. “It’s a positive thing; clauses provide legal certainty,” Tokos added.

In practice, players do not pay the buyout themselves; the club interested in their services covers it. “It’s a matter of negotiation and contractual freedom between the player and the club,” Tokos explained when describing how the value of a release clause is determined. Generally, the higher the clause a player agrees to, the better the conditions the club offers in return. (...)