Transparency needed in AFC players transfer

Questions are being raised about Allan Wanga’s transfer fee.

Initial reports had indicated that Sudanese giants El Merreikh was too willing to part with Sh17 million to get Wanga’s services. READ: Wanga seals big-money move to Sudanese club

I for once was excited, not so much about the amount than the fact that the Ingwe officialdom had finally appreciated the business aspect of football management. It was certainly good business to sell a player you acquired with a modest Sh2 million for a whopping Sh17 million.

I’m among the millions of Ingwe fans who were left baffled when it was announced that Wanga had been ‘sold’ for a modest Sh4 million and not Sh17 million as we had been made to believe.

The least we at Ingwe can expect from the management is some transparency regarding the player’s transfer fee.

SHROUDED IN SECRECY

The problem with the leadership of most football clubs in this country is that matters to do with player transfers are never publicly disclosed.

One danger of this kind of approach is that we, members and supporters, are left exposed to all manner of rumours and half truths.

Back to my point. The Ingwe management should be lauded for the manner they went about Wanga’s transfer, issues of transparency aside.

Kasavuli and his team must realise that one of the ways Ingwe and other clubs, including our cash strapped noisy neighbours, can achieve self sustenance is by managing their player transfer issues in a pragmatic manner. They must realise that football has become big business.

Ingwe, with an annual budget of slightly over Sh30 million, would need to sell only two players of Wanga’s pedigree at Sh17 million to sustain itself for a whole year. It then means that Ingwe must invest wisely in scouting for, nurturing and marketing young talent before selling them at a profit once they mature. That is why the average age of our players should not be anything above 24.