Transfer Markets: Navigating Transfer Business

12 July 2026

By M J Kocx

Player transfer markets.

One of the most stressful times of the year if you are a football club owner, or part of the executive management team. 

It is also one of the most anticipated periods of the year. For football fanatics and diehard fans alike. 

Can the football club find the next wonderkid? Who will be the signing of the season? Is your football club a buyer or a seller club during the transfer market?

All valid and genuine questions on the lips of fans and pundits. 

But what if there was a way to remove human emotion from the equation at times, and focus on process rather than transfer hype? 

Often, football clubs may feel the pressure to do something drastic in the transfer market. Buy that ‘special’ player to propel their title challenge, secure European football, or avoid relegation. 

But, is the short-term hype worth it in the long-term? 

Perhaps it is. Perhaps it is not. 

This author presents the thesis that clubs should approach all transfer markets with clear, simple decision-making frameworks. 


Transfer Frameworks

At the end of the day, football is a game of 11 players versus 11 players. 

A football club should be diligent and thorough in its selection of its starting XI and bench. 

Careful planning is a must. 

A football club must treat its reserve bench as important as its starting XI. The reserve bench can make or break a football club’s season. 

When making any player transfer, the football club must be clear and consistent in its decision-making.

This article proposes the Tiered Framework approach. 

The Tiered Framework allows football clubs to overcome the hype and hysteria of transfer markets and maintain a stable financial position. 


The Tiered Framework – Short, Medium and Long-Term Layered Squad 

The Tiered Framework has three layers: Short, Medium, and Long-Term. 

A football club assesses and categorises players as falling within one of these three categories. 

Short: The player will be used with immediate effect. They will contribute the most to the starting XI’s minutes across the season, barring injury or suspension. 

Medium: The player will be used sporadically in the starting XI. They will contribute to some of the starting XI’s minutes across the season. The player is seen as someone who will become a regular member of the starting XI in three to four years. 

Long: The player will rarely be used in the starting XI. This is reserved for players who are seen as the next generation, between the ages of 14 to 17. They are seen as the future stalwarts of the football club. 

In adopting the Tiered Framework, a football club may construct its playing squad as follows: 

GK (Goalkeepers)	
•	1 Short player
•	1 Medium player
•	1 Long player 	

Approx. 3 players

DEF (Defenders)	
•	2 Short player
•	2 Medium player
•	3 Long player	

Approx. 7 players

MID (Midfielders)	
•	2 Short player
•	2 Medium player
•	3 Long player	

Approx. 7 players

STR (Strikers)	
•	2 Short player
•	2 Medium player
•	2 Long player	

Approx. 6 players


Next week, we will discuss how the football club can approach recruitment and navigating transfer windows. 

From

Yours truly,