Buyout clause
A buyout clause or release clause refers to a clause in a contract that imposes an obligation on another organisation wishing to acquire the services of the employee under contract to pay the (usually substantial) fee of the clause to the organisation which issued the contract and currently employs the employee.
It is most commonly used in reference to sports teams, where a transfer fee is usually paid for a player under contract; however, the current owning club is not obliged to sell their player, and if an agreement on a suitable fee cannot be reached, the buying club can instead resort to paying the player's buyout fee – should their contract have such a clause – which the owning club cannot block.[1] Buyout clauses are usually set at a higher amount than the player's expected market value. However, on occasion, a player at a smaller club will sign a contract but insist on a low buyout fee to attract bigger clubs if their performances generate interest, which de facto functions as a reservation price set for the selling club.
The aim of this clause is twofold; firstly with its high amount, competing teams are discouraged from attempting to acquire the player if the current club shows no signs of selling them, and secondly it raises any hint to the players not to go through with their contractual commitment.
As of January 2022, the six largest buyout clauses were those of association football players
On 3 August 2017,
References
- ^ a b c "How release clauses are applied: Neymar like 'any other worker' in Spain". ESPN. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ a b c "A change in Spain's tax laws could make buying La Liga players easier for Premier League clubs such as Manchester United". City A.M. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ a b c "How Spanish buyout clauses work". Vanguard. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ "Real Madrid extend Karim Benzema's contract and insert €1bn release clause". The Guardian. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ "The Neymar effect: Real Madrid slap astronomical buyout clauses on stars to avoid Barcelona's fate". Goal. Retrieved 2017-09-30.
- ^ "Ansu Fati signs six-year Barcelona deal with a 1bn buyout clause". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
- ^ "Neymar Has Signed a Record-Breaking $262 Million Deal With PSG". Time. 4 August 2017. Archived from the original on August 4, 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.