This summer has been massive for Manchester United. Never before had they splashed over £100m in one transfer window to buy new players. While Angel di Maria’s transfer from Real Madrid created much hype, as it was a record transfer, but the deal to sign Marcos Rojo from Sporting created huge fuss and controversy than any other deals.
The reason being, in Portugal there is this system of third party ownership that creates all the unnecessary complex while transferring a player to another club.
Sporting, like all other major Portugal clubs, are a typical selling club, and naturally wanted to sell the Argentine (one of their best performers) for around €30m, his release clause. United were unsure about paying that amount, but they kept on negotiating with the Portuguese club and gained an upper-hand in the deal once Sporting got involved into a nasty conflict with the Doyen Sport Group. In the end, with time running out in the transfer window, they had to sell Rojo for a reported fee of €20m, with Nani joining his old club on a season long loan.
Doyen Sport Group, a third party owner had 75% economic rights on Marcos Rojo, so they demanded their legitimate share from the deal, but Sporting only paid them €4m. It gave birth to huge controversy and the conflict ended up in a court battle at the Court of arbitration for sport (TAS).
Sporting claim that Doyen had forcefully entered during their negotiation with United that prevented the club from selling the player on a higher price. Furthermore, their reputation and public image have been tarnished as a result of which they should be given a compensation of €1om.
Doyen group on the other hand are simply want equivalent to 75% of the player’s sporting rights, which will be around €16m. Already they have been paid €4m, it remains to be seen whether court orders Sporting to pay them the rest of the money.
Meanwhile, Rojo is slowly settling down at his new club and has been featuring regularly in Louis Van Gaal’s new look system.
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