Liverpool reportedly still owe a seven-figure sum to PSV Eindhoven for the transfer of Cody Gakpo under a new scheme introduced by FIFA.
As outlined by Dutch outlet NOS, world football’s governing body has brought in a ‘Clearing House’, which is designed to ensure that clubs who train players through their academy will earn a cut from future transfers.
Under the system, the Eredivisie outfit are entitled to 5% of the fee from the winger’s €42m (£35.9m) move to Anfield, which equates to a reported €2m (£1.7m) in instalments, having trained the 24-year-old through their underage ranks until he reached the first team.
However, PSV have claimed they haven’t received that payment they’re due from Liverpool and can’t understand how, more than six months on from the deal being agreed, the money is taking so long to come through from Merseyside via the FIFA Clearing House in Paris.
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This is a scheme which, on the face of it, has honourable intentions but, from the report by NOS, already appears to be encountering some major problems.
Procedures handled by the FIFA Clearing House can be slow to process due to the volume of paperwork and research which must be carried out, with the organisation’s original aim of reviews being completed within 121 days turning out to be highly ambitious, with only one out of 7,515 cases fully settled.
It’s even been claimed that some clubs at the highest level of football have gone down the legal route to try and delay or minimise payments due under the scheme, or wriggle out of having to pay anything at all.
Liverpool may well have dispatched the £1.7m payment due to PSV for Gakpo from this system, only for it not to reach Eindhoven due to the case being held up at the global governing body’s end.
The Dutch club’s frustration is quite understandable, and it’d be no surprise if many other teams from across Europe and beyond are experiencing similar situations from an idea which is noble in principle but seemingly very complicated in practicality.
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