Buying Players Nearly Out of Contract

[Fritzromanov]

I've got a weird situation in my Career Mode and I'm wondering what's going to happen with it, or if anyone has seen it before.

I needed to buy a striker in the January transfer window and chose Martin Braithwaite, who had only months left on his contract and was available to sign on a free transfer for the start of the next season. However, I wanted to play him straight away so paid a fee for him and bought him immediately.

Now when I look at his details in the Squad Report, his status is 'Moving to (whichever club it is) when his contract expires.' In the Contracts screen his contract length is 2.5 years, but his status is 'Departing Club' and I can't negotiate with him.

Has anyone seen this before? Is he going to leave at the start of next season or see out his 2.5 year deal and then leave? Or will the start of the new season sort the glitch out?

It's something to be aware of anyway, and I won't be buying players who are available for free at the end of the season in January again.

[redsox4evur]

Quote: Originally Posted by Fritzromanov

I've got a weird situation in my Career Mode and I'm wondering what's going to happen with it, or if anyone has seen it before. I needed to buy a striker in the January transfer window and chose Martin Braithwaite, who had only months left on his contract and was available to sign on a free transfer for the start of the next season. However, I wanted to play him straight away so paid a fee for him and bought him immediately. Now when I look at his details in the Squad Report, his status is 'Moving to (whichever club it is) when his contract expires.' In the Contracts screen his contract length is 2.5 years, but his status is 'Departing Club' and I can't negotiate with him. Has anyone seen this before? Is he going to leave at the start of next season or see out his 2.5 year deal and then leave? Or will the start of the new season sort the glitch out? It's something to be aware of anyway, and I won't be buying players who are available for free at the end of the season in January again.

I have had something similar happen but it was in 14. I had signed a guy on a free transfer and then he was sold by the team that I was signed him away from. I think it was Lewandowski and he wasn't on BVB, but I signed him and then he was sold to Real Madrid, I think and I didn't get him in that next season.

And on your last sentence don't let this one incident deter you from doing it. Because in 14 I bought Andrea Pirlo a lot for a sub in my midfield on a free transfer from Juventus and everything went fine. So my words of wisdom for you are if you sign someone on a free transfer don't go and buy him for a straight transfer, choose either free transfer and let him come in next season or sign him for a straight transfer and bring him in right away.

[orion523]

Quote: Originally Posted by Fritzromanov

I've got a weird situation in my Career Mode and I'm wondering what's going to happen with it, or if anyone has seen it before. I needed to buy a striker in the January transfer window and chose Martin Braithwaite, who had only months left on his contract and was available to sign on a free transfer for the start of the next season. However, I wanted to play him straight away so paid a fee for him and bought him immediately. Now when I look at his details in the Squad Report, his status is 'Moving to (whichever club it is) when his contract expires.' In the Contracts screen his contract length is 2.5 years, but his status is 'Departing Club' and I can't negotiate with him. Has anyone seen this before? Is he going to leave at the start of next season or see out his 2.5 year deal and then leave? Or will the start of the new season sort the glitch out? It's something to be aware of anyway, and I won't be buying players who are available for free at the end of the season in January again.

Sounds like he signed a deal with another club for summer right before his old club sold him to you. I have purchased a ton of players nearly out of contract in January because with lower league clubs, that's the only way to survive so dont let it deter you, just bad luck!
One thing to remember, you MUST sign those players in January if you want them for free, come summer, 99% of them are resigned by their old clubs. I got burned by this and it eventually led to my demise.

[thekodinator]

How do you search for/find these players?

[Fritzromanov]

All fine in the end. When I started the next season his status was reset to the default and he no longer appears to be leaving the club.

@thekodinator - I get my GTN scouts to look for players with 0-1 years left on their contract, then in the January window some of them are available to sign on free contracts for the next season. Not all of them for some reason, but some are, and it's a useful way of picking up good players for no fee.

Oh, and I didn't mean I wouldn't get free transfers again, I just meant that I'll wait to get them as free transfers instead of buying them immediately in January!

[Azamien]

Quote: Originally Posted by Fritzromanov

Not all of them for some reason

They have to be 23 or older.

[Fritzromanov]

Ah - didn't realise they'd actually built that logic in. Thanks.