Mascherano's Contract

[lfc4ever]

None of this really makes much sense to me. If we bought him for £1.5m on an 18 month contract, then surely when his contract finishes he is a free agent?

We've "loaned" him off Kia for 18 months, which will leave 2 years of a "contract" to be fullfilled by Masher to Kia at the end, to go wherever they want then, however, to get round the the 3rd party ownership rules, we had to buy the loan (paid Kia off), hence the talk of "selling" back to Kia after the loan ends, Kia will buy back his registration.

We can of course buy him at the going rate anytime between now and the 18 months ending, then he will be ours to sell on if necessary to a club, not to Kia.

It's a fudge drawn up by lawyers, but it satisfies all the suits in the right places, and why UEFA & FIFA hate the idea of Agents owning players, and why clubs only should be allowed to own players.

It's confusing, prob I've made it worse, but he won't be able to walk on a bosman or talk to other clubs next Jan either, his registration reverts to Kia at the end of the loan.

[Red_Polo]

Sounds sketchy to me

We've "loaned" him off Kia for 18 months, which will leave 2 years of a "contract" to be fullfilled by Masher to Kia at the end, to go wherever they want then, however, to get round the the 3rd party ownership rules, we had to buy the loan (paid Kia off), hence the talk of "selling" back to Kia after the loan ends, Kia will buy back his registration.

Surely selling a player back to Kia would be dependent on the player too though? If Masher didn't want to be owned by Kia then he could just refuse, so Kia's investment would not be safe.

We can of course buy him at the going rate anytime between now and the 18 months ending, then he will be ours to sell on if necessary to a club, not to Kia.

If we have an option to buy him then that means we don't own him. So who does? Given the rules, it can't be Kia surely?

It's a fudge drawn up by lawyers, but it satisfies all the suits in the right places, and why UEFA & FIFA hate the idea of Agents owning players, and why clubs only should be allowed to own players.

It's confusing, prob I've made it worse, but he won't be able to walk on a bosman or talk to other clubs next Jan either, his registration reverts to Kia at the end of the loan.

Nah I get where you're coming from. Still, I think there are a lot of unanswered questions around this. I think you may be on to something in implying we have gone through a whole load of legal polava and jumped through hoops the end result of which effectively still amounts to us loaning the player, but somehow fits it through a loophole allowing us to field the player. Perhaps an Ian Cotton statement could clear it up?

[Lecter]

None of this really makes much sense to me. If we bought him for £1.5m on an 18 month contract, then surely when his contract finishes he is a free agent?

I think this is a pretty technical thing and its probably been manufactured to protect MSI's "asset"

My take on it is this

We pay £1.5 million for Mascheranos registration for a period of 18 months.

After the 18 months have gone Joorabchian has FIRST option to buy back his registration for a nominal fee which he will definitely exercise

If we wish to extend the players stay we will have to buy the player back again from Joorabchian this time at a higher price £10-17 million. If we choose to do this hes then 100% our player to do what we want with

[marcus50bucks]

I think this is a pretty technical thing and its probably been manufactured to protect MSI's "asset"

My take on it is this

We pay £1.5 million for Mascheranos registration for a period of 18 months.

After the 18 months have gone Joorabchian has FIRST option to buy back his registration for a nominal fee which he will definitely exercise

If we wish to extend the players stay we will have to buy the player back again from Joorabchian this time at a higher price £10-17 million. If we choose to do this hes then 100% our player to do what we want with

Lecter you say Joorabchian has first option to by back his registration after 18months, however who will he buy him from?

[Red_Polo]

I think this is a pretty technical thing and its probably been manufactured to protect MSI's "asset"

My take on it is this

We pay £1.5 million for Mascheranos registration for a period of 18 months.

After the 18 months have gone Joorabchian has FIRST option to buy back his registration for a nominal fee which he will definitely exercise

If we wish to extend the players stay we will have to buy the player back again from Joorabchian this time at a higher price £10-17 million. If we choose to do this hes then 100% our player to do what we want with

I've thought of that, but then surely, option or no option, Mascherano is under no obligation to accept Joorabchian's offer to sign him back? Unless Mascherano has already agreed to sign back with him at that time?

[Lecter]

Lecter you say Joorabchian has first option to by back his registration after 18months, however who will he buy him from?

From us we own the players registration

[Lecter]

I've thought of that, but then surely, option or no option, Mascherano is under no obligation to accept Joorabchian's offer to sign him back? Unless Mascherano has already agreed to sign back with him at that time?

Mascherano has been valued at in excess of £10 million we've got him for a knockdown fee. Joorabchian wouldnt let an asset go for buttons without having some guarantees of earning or retaining that asset in the future

[Red_Polo]

The way I see it, Mascherano must already have signed and agreement to rejoin Kia for when the 18 months is over. Us signing him on a longer deal would then depend on us agreeing a fee with Kia, in which case he would free Masher from their agreement. That's the only way I can think of that explains how we actually own the player now, but Kia has also protected his investment.

[AFII]

We have signed him for the next 18 months and after that Mascherano will be a Bosman free player.

We have first option to sign him after that and if we don't want him then Kia will have the option to get him back so he isn't really Bosman free player.

The difference between the previus loan deal and that we now have signed him is that we own the image rights for him the next 18 months.

He is 100% our player the next 18 months.

[Red_Polo]

We have signed him for the next 18 months and after that Mascherano will be a Bosman free player.

We have first option to sign him after that and if we don't want him then Kia will have the option to get him back so he isn't really Bosman free player.

The difference between the previus loan deal and that we now have signed him is that we own the image rights for him the next 18 months.

He is 100% our player the next 18 months.

Yeah but an 'option' depends on the player actually agreeing to a move. Which is why I'm suggesting the only way Kia's investment is protected is if Masher has already agreed to re-signing for him after 18 months.

[AFII]

Yeah but an 'option' depends on the player actually agreeing to a move. Which is why I'm suggesting the only way Kia's investment is protected is if Masher has already agreed to re-signing for him after 18 months.

Of course he has. That is why I said that he isn't really Bosman free even that his contract runs out.

[Red_Polo]

Of course he has. That is why I said that he isn't really Bosman free even that his contract runs out.

OK, so we're thinking along the same lines then...it's not an option to get him back, but a done deal that will only be broken by Kia if we agree a fee with him. Thing is, even that's just a plausible theory. There is very little info on any of this. It's certainly an unusual situation.

[Lecter]

We have signed him for the next 18 months and after that Mascherano will be a Bosman free player.

We have first option to sign him after that and if we don't want him then Kia will have the option to get him back so he isn't really Bosman free player.

The difference between the previus loan deal and that we now have signed him is that we own the image rights for him the next 18 months.

He is 100% our player the next 18 months.

He wont be a Bosman player after these 18 months

The Football Echo was adamant on Saturday that we had paid £1.5 million for an 18 month contract after that a significantly higher fee would have to be paid to extend his stay you wouldnt have to pay a fee if he was available on a Bosman in 18 months time

As I mentioned earlier this appears to be a highly techincal contract it must have built in clauses / guarantees to protect Joorabchian and Mascherano

The only way I can see it panning out in the manner the Football Echo has reported is through Joorabchian reclaiming the players registration after 18 months. Whether thats by activating a buy-back clause or a straight reversion back to him I dont know

My guess is that to avoid issues of further problems with the FA or FIFA that joorabchian will exercise a buyback and then we will then pay the larger transfer value for a permanent deal

[bazza76]

Im thinking that he is still under the ownership of the agent, but, he is not under any circumstances able to recall his player from the loan deal untill the 18 months is over (hence not being able to influence the players perfromances), then, we have the exclusive option to buy him for a set ammount.
I could be way off though lol.

[Lecter]

Im thinking that he is still under the ownership of the agent, but, he is not under any circumstances able to recall his player from the loan deal untill the 18 months is over (hence not being able to influence the players perfromances), then, we have the exclusive option to buy him for a set ammount.
I could be way off though lol.

I dont think he can be owned by a third party (an agent) thats a breach of FA rules and was why the Premier League checked the contract out thoroughly before ratifying it

In principle its a loan deal but to avoid the pitfalls and rules and regulations we've bought him for 18 months

Thats why I said its a very techincal contract in that Joorabchian has to have his investment covered but Liverpool have to own the player