SHARE

Compared to the world of men’s football, the money in women’s football is simply pitiful.

Most players move on free transfers, and if they don’t, they normally do so for fees of €50k or so.

That’s why a lot of players tend to run down their contracts to choose their next clubs, much like Ona Batlle did at Levante ahead of a potential move to Manchester United.

This is what journalist Chantal Reyes is reporting on Wednesday, claiming the Spanish defender could swap the Primera Iberdrola club for a move to the FA WSL.

However, amid all this, she also finds herself at the centre of a rather intriguing situation in her home country that currently means she has to move abroad if she wants to continue her career.

As reported by Mundo Deportivo, in March, Levante wrote her name down in something called the Lista de Compensación del I Convenio Colectivo, which allows clubs to nominate players out of contract that year with the amount of compensation they would like from a club in Spain should she sign for them.

Putting forward the names of Eva Navarro and Ona Batlle, Levante are asking for €500k each.

Embed from Getty Images

To put that in perspective, Mundo Deportivo explain that according to FIFA’s data, the 831 transfers that took place in 2019 in women’s football totalled an amount of $652k and barely went over $500k in 2018.

This means that any club in the Primera Iberdrola wanting to sign either Navarro or Batlle would have to put forward a fee they simply cannot afford, thus limiting the options these players currently have at the end of their contract.

It’s explained that while player unions agreed to this list being created at the time, they ‘never imagined that clubs could fix such abusive amounts’.

FutbolistasON was one of them, but they have since ‘filed a class action lawsuit’ against the Association of Women’s Football Clubs and the Association of Spanish Football Players in Spain, with 10 of the 17 players under the age of 23 currently on this compensation list ‘backing’ this move.

A decision was meant to take place on Wednesday, but it has since been pushed back until July 17th, which comes after the footballers’ contracts will expire.

This means those with high compensation fees attached to their name will either have to wait until then before knowing if they can stay in Spain, or simply move abroad, where clubs don’t have to pay the compensation fees.

Regarding Batlle, Chantal Reyes believes Manchester United are trying their luck, and it will come down to the 21-year-old to decide what she wants to do.

Either wait and see if the lawsuit is won and the compensation fee is scrapped, therefore allowing her to stay in Spain, or simply decide to move to Leigh Sports Village and play under Casey Stoney at Manchester United.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR