Linked to several European clubs in the past year, including Manchester United, Gelson Martins ended up signing a new contract with Sporting CP. The player, who got a significant pay rise, kept his release clause at €60m.
As reported many times by the Portuguese press, that’s the price. Clubs who want him should either pay for the clause or go away. There’s no talk.
But today, newspaper Diário de Notícias reveals there’s a detail in the new contract which could make things easier for most of the clubs who have been interested in the winger.
According to their report, the deal includes a clause which drops the price to €50m for all clubs who fulfil some financial requests and made at least three Champions League appearances in the past few years.
These ‘past few years’ should mean at least two, because Diário de Notícias mentions that besides Real Madrid and Barcelona, Manchester United would be included in those who have been linked to the player and would be benefited from this.
With Sporting’s poor form, most of recent the news about the club has been covering the crisis and minor transfers, instead of interest in their stars. But if this clause is confirmed by other papers, and if Diário de Notícias are right to it applies to Manchester United, then club are likely to be linked continually until the summer.
