Earlier quoted context omitted.
> .. Players move between clubs all the time in football. > That doesn't make any sense whatsoever to an avid, European, football fan like me at least Can you explain how ownership of a player's rights works in European football? As a non-football fan from North America, I have always found it confusing when I hear about the huge fees it costs move a player, before his salary is even discussed, as I'm more familiar w…
The normal scenario is that a club signs a player up for X years. If another club fancy that player during the length of the contract period they negotiate with both the club and player to break that contract for a fee. If the contract expires, the player is free to sign for any club. Clubs usually make sure to not have important players on a soon-to-expire-contract, and if they do, they rather sell that player than…
So it's basically the price to void the existing contract instead of moving the player with his contract.