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Kenny Tete’s decision to swap London for Liverpool is just the latest of a long litany of contractual mismanagement from Tony Khan and co. Why is this an issue for Fulham? How do FFC fix this? Keep reading – you’ll find out…
Does Tete’s Exit Make Some Sense?
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Many have labelled Tete’s Bosman departure as par for the course in modern football. That’s simply not the case. In isolation, I understand the Dutchman’s exit from both a club and player point of view. Fulham offered Kenny a three-year deal; he rejected, and is heading north for what I assume is a better-paid deal on Merseyside.
Who can blame him? He’s turning 30, in search of his last bumper deal, and as the Whites know well, he’s massively struggled for fitness in recent years. The former Lyon man’s aforementioned faults are clear – maybe a departure is best for both parties. But that isn’t my gripe with this situation.
Another Financially Nonsensical Decision
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Tete’s long-standing openness to leaving Craven Cottage has been there for all to see. When the club exercised their right to extend King Kenny’s deal by a further year last summer, why wouldn’t a final decision be made on Tete there and then? It’s a puzzling decision. In fact, it’s a reckless decision. Tete’s departure isn’t the Whites hierarchy’s first rodeo when it comes to being left standing when it comes time to renew, either…
The Definition of Insanity: An Unwillingness to Learn from Mistakes
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The well-profiled case of Tosin’s departure to the dark side of SW6 was the perfect precursor for what happened with Kenny Tete this summer. Speculation around Adarabioyo’s exit built for going on two years before the Manchester native left for Cobham last June. Whether it was AS Monaco or Newcastle United, Fulham had many a chance to recoup towards £20 million for a young English centre-half entering the prime of his career. But, in a mirror image to Kenny Tete’s saga, London’s Original’s lack of market street smarts ended up with them being led on for a second summer running.
Why Contractual Mismanagement in a PSR World Is Financial Negligence
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Letting one player leave who could have fetched an eight-figure sum is a mistake. Letting another do the same 12 months on is financially negligent. An unwillingness to read the tea leaves, put player and agent talk aside, and not make your call on a player’s future has led to a loss of what I esteem to be at least £30 million in revenue in the past year. A shameful way to conduct business for a family as successful as the Khans. Think about the extra money or profits Fulham would have available if the losses of Tete and Tosin were compensated by fees. In the world of PSR, that is catastrophic business.
Will FFC Learn Their Lesson? What Could This Mean for the Future?
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How many more financially impactful Bosman departures will it take till FFC learn their lesson? I hope it’s a big enough wake-up call to get Rodrigo Muniz, Luc De Fougerolles, and Josh King re-signed in the coming weeks…
In short, Fulham’s naivety cannot continue. In the long term, it will no doubt cost the Cottagers big time. Whilst not every free departure can be avoided – Marek Rodák and Bobby Reid are great examples of that – two consecutive key departures from our first eleven is unsustainable. If we make use of our – credit where credit’s due – intelligent ability to add a one-year club extension in most of our contracts, why can’t we make a sweeping decision once that clause is invoked? Tony, you decide: move X guy on for a fee, or move Y guy onto a long-term deal. You seem so keen to maximise profits in many other aspects of the club – why not here? Here’s where it really matters. A failure to do so is a one-way trip to the Championship.