Introduction
The whispers permeate the air around, twitter users are tapping their fingers. Their eyes frantically searching words, quotes, ciphers (If that’s possible) that describe the situation everyone’s been talking about – The Transfer! Also, the last transfer window ended a few days ago. While some happily welcomed new players. Which brought along hope and renewed vitality to the lineups across Europe (and the rest of the world). While some were yet again subject to disappointment, anger, and sorrow.
The Players
Now let’s change the POV and shift our focus towards the ones that directly gain or lose from these arrangements of words that take up the fancy pages of social media accounts and other mainstream media outlets – The Players.
“A trustworthy source can confirm that XYZ club have identified ABC as a transfer target and will look to make him their top priority this transfer window”.
A big club, a superpower of sorts has identified you as a talent. Then you can’t wait to get that call from your agent, him calling to tell you that possibly your childhood dream, an ambition that’s been at the very center of everything you’ve ever worked towards is finally being fulfilled!
The whispers grow stronger, the call hasn’t yet arrived. Your teammates though supportive suddenly display colder tones at the uncertainty of your situation. The call hasn’t arrived, the club remains tight-lipped – everyone’s waiting for developments – The players, The Staff, The fans.
And a million moments later at a time during which your subconscious actions reflect your planned goal celebrations, your poses in the new kit. And the mental development that sees you reach the summit. It turns out to be nothing but a bubble blown too big, to the extent that the pop imitates the sound of your expectations crashing. Dismay and regret follow, your performance dips. What you once saw as the final wall whose climb meant arriving at greener pastures now just seems to be a mirage in a barren land of expectations.
All’s not lost, the rumors have made you a figure of discussion now. Your performances are now being looked at on a microscopic level. Each flaw draws a sigh of relief from the expecting fans, while a jaw-dropping display of elegance makes them want to massacre the board. You realize that fans are dwellers of the moments they choose to exist within. Some will never see you fill in the shoes left by Lords of the game. While some others you are a less pessimistic lot, will stand and get behind you.
Transition – Treasure Island???
While the subject still stands on a very hypothetical assumption. Let’s take a look at a mirrored instance.
The rumor is strong. Top journalists who have a reliability score of their own in their signature declarative styles let the news out. Then your agent and you have already agreed on your stance. Phone calls, faxed documents all have been arranged, awaiting the final few formalities to see “Done Deal.
You’ve done it, the fans are excited now – they know you’re arriving. Your name redundantly appears on fan pages loyal to the club. While your current club declares their remorse at seeing you leave, whilst wishing you the best for what’s to come.
Then comes the big day when the club, officially on all their channels announces – “Welcome, ABC Players.
The comments section goes crazy; the fans can’t wait to finally get a glimpse of you performing to your absolute best on the pitch. All has gone well, your dream transfer is now complete. And now you have to get your head down and keep pace with the hype. Living the fairytale much? Very dreamy and hopeful it does seem. But moods and ambitions aren’t the only factors that govern the emotions of players when it comes to transfers.
The Unseen Factors of a Transfer
A ton of other aspects that come into play like the “gossip games” of the transfer saga often get shadowed and aren’t paid attention to despite them being key to a transfer materializing.
Questions pile up; some of these might seem familiar:
Economical ability of a club to invest in players: Does the club have the eligible figures to sign you? How many years does your first contract have on file? What are the clauses that stand to get you a bonus? Does your contract have a respectable termination clause? Where does the club place you in their roster of already proven superstars?
Players Eligibility: Did you clear your medicals, yes you sure did! Do the players see you as something the team missed? Is the new guy part of the system the coach seems to be best fitting for the team?
Are you here as a backup? The cup games seem more of a possibility to you than the big ones?
PR: Are you an asset that gets the club a more positive engagement among the masses? Is your name the one that ensures jersey sales touch the skylines? Does you’re off the pitch activity garner a lot of bright light attention towards the club?
These are all but a few mentions of what a player assumptive seeks answers for when a potential transfer is in the happening, or is nearly done and maybe even let loose in the air as passing wind. Where a part that sees this through also iterates time and again that a sealed transfer to a dream club doesn’t necessarily imply the fairytale cherry-topped sundae a player would’ve been hoping for despite the repetitive flashes of brilliance
Feeding the flame – Fan vision
Fans play a big role in these processes. The players often anonymously perform an “ego search” to get an insight into how the outside world sees them – here’s where the memes, the hashtags, the banter comes into play.
Nagging, appreciation, hate, demigodly status – it all meets different players with different emotions.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be the stated truth, a well fabricated and marketed statement – made to masquerade as a quoted “leak” can act as a catalyst in motion and in moments turn, tilt, discombobulate and destroy a perception of a player.
Non-disclosure agreements, maintenance standards for one’s public image, restrictive liberties – all cater to the broth that cooks up the bitter serving of the least rated recipe on the player’s list.
To add to it – players’ agents to cause the opinionated reality of expert voices on a situation to carousel around the words they very carefully wish to be presented to the public eye.
Not only does this cause an economic rally with club and agent on either side of the court the returning shot after shot none played to secure a stalemate, but it also reverts attention from other interested parties that understand the economic desires the agent wishes to see fulfilled.
End result? Agent declared credible for milking the best deal out of a club. The deepest pockets get the goose.
And the sources of information that’ve secured the details? Elevated leverage from the club faithful.
And what about the players?
He either stands strong enough through it all whether the deal is seen through or not OR ends up at the side that sees rumors once again get the better of a bright prospect with unfulfilled potential.
Conclusion
These reckonings may be way off what reality is or may be spot on. What really can be said about players though, is that they do have a very human side that is prone to bouts of emotional incompetency when the expectations surge and vice versa.
