There used to be a time where a release clause was designed to set a fair price for a player that would allow them to leave when a bigger club came in.
Then transfer fees were blown out of proportion so they’ve become ridiculously high in attempt to warn potential suitors away. It seems that clubs in Spain and Portugal are required to include some kind of release clause in their contracts, so it makes sense to keep them as high as possible.
All the clause will really do is limit the amount you can sell a player for in the future. That could be part of the reason for Barcelona including an incredibly high clause in Ansu Fati’s new contract.
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The Barca website reported that the youngster has signed a new contract at the club. They say his deal is now extended through to 2022 and the initial release clause will be €170m, but that will increase to €400m when he signs a professional contract.
They don’t directly address it, but it looks like he won’t be able to sign as a full professional until he turns 17 next October.
Ansu might have been known to those who follow the Barca youth teams, but his breakthrough season has taken most of us by surprise. He’s already played in over ten first team games and seems to have a bright future at the club.
It’s also highly unlikely that anyone will ever meet that release clause, so this should tie him to the club for many years to come.