How to lose your best player and $60 million in a year

Timing is such an important thing in all aspects of football. Not only on the pitch. It’s not only about timing your runs and passes but also about finding the right time to conduct your transfers. Directors of French club Stade Rennais are all too aware of this as they stand to take a huge financial hit over the sale of their prized asset Eduardo Camavinga.

Even though he’s only 18 years old, Camavinga is already a household name in French Ligue 1 and is already a full France international. Ever since making his professional Rennes debut at the tender age of 16, Camavinga has been drawing attention from Europe’s biggest clubs. Real Madrid, Arsenal, Bayern, PSG are just some of the clubs who have been credited with an interest in signing the lad. Now, the Parisians could be getting him for $37 million, around $60 million less than what Rennes asked only a year ago.

The covid-19 pandemic has ruined many a deal as football clubs try to avoid financial risks amid the global crisis. Rennes were asking nearly $100 million for the youngster after the ending of the last season, and it wasn’t an unrealistic assessment either. But, to their horror, the finances went down the drain as the lockdowns started around the world, prompting most clubs to give up on their big-money dealings. the son of Congolese parents stayed for another season.

The prices fluctuate, of course. They depend on many factors. One of them is the amount of time the player in question has left on his current contract. Camavinga’s deal is set to expire in June 2022 If Rennes fail to sell him in the next few months, they could end up losing the player and receiving no transfer fee whatsoever. To avoid that scenario, the club from the Brittany region of France are willing to lower their demands and accept offers in the region of $37 million. It would mean a $60 million hit to Rennes projected income, but the time is running out, and they cannot hold out for a huge fee.

There is a possibility that Eduardo would agree to extend his Rennes contract and thus help his current club earn more money. However, the Bretons cannot afford to bank on it as Paris Saint-Germain continue to circle the youngster.

Bayern could also move for Camavinga but are adamant that they won’t be spending more than $30 million on the promising Frenchman.