Chapter 141: Contract Renewal Completed

Chapter 141: Contract Renewal Completed

Last summer, Udinese spent only 300,000 euros on an Algerian player who, in the past dream season, quickly became a regular starter for Udinese. Over the season, he played 36 matches across Serie A, the Europa League, and the Italian Cup, contributing 7 goals and 8 assists. Due to his excellent performance at Udinese, the 23-year-old Algerian was selected for the Algerian national team and soon secured a starting position, participating in the World Cup finals in Brazil. He often boasted about this when with Bruno, Kanté, and Cancelo.

Facing his bragging, Bruno and the others could only vent their frustration by playfully beating him up to release their pent-up emotions. Now, unexpectedly, he became the first among them to leave Udinese.

What made Bruno somewhat envious was the salary Leicester City offered Mahrez: a weekly wage of 20,000 pounds! Converted to euros, that amounted to an annual salary of 1.28 million euros, slightly higher than Bruno's, who had not yet completed his contract renewal. At Udinese, Mahrez's annual salary was only 200,000 euros, not even close to what Leicester City offered him.

Originally, Mendes was negotiating renewals for Mahrez among the other three players with Udinese, but that was secondary; Bruno's renewal was the priority. Clearly, because Bruno's renewal negotiations were prolonged, it delayed the renewals for Mahrez and the others. Eventually, Leicester City swooped in with a tempting offer that shook Udinese and Mahrez, culminating in the transfer.

Mendes revealed to Bruno that Leicester City secured Mahrez with a transfer fee of 10 million pounds, approximately 12.3 million euros. Within a year, Udinese's investment earned a 40-fold profit! The European "Selling Club" truly lived up to its reputation.

According to Mendes, orchestrating Mahrez's transfer was a strategy to pressure Udinese into compromising on Bruno's renewal. Given Bruno's performance over the past season, if other clubs knew that a mere 40 million euros would suffice to poach him, a bidding war was inevitable.

However, the transfer proved to be a win-win for all parties involved. For Udinese, while somewhat coerced by Mendes, the transfer brought in a clean profit of 12 million euros—a return of 40 times the investment in just one year, an incredibly lucrative deal. For Leicester City, they acquired a powerful player crucial for their survival in the upcoming season. For Mahrez, he achieved a significant financial breakthrough, gaining tangible benefits. And for Mendes, not only did he earn a commission from the transfer, but he also demonstrated his resolve to Udinese, thereby advancing Bruno's contract renewal process.

Shortly after Mahrez's transfer was finalized, Udinese chose to step back, facilitating Bruno's contract renewal.

When Bruno learned of Mahrez's transfer to the newly promoted Premier League team Leicester City, he had just completed a 40-day intensive training and returned home to Portugal. With a week's vacation before the new season started, he was looking forward to some rest. However, his break was barely underway when Mendes called to inform him that his contract had finally been settled. Although the process had its complications, they ultimately reached an agreement favorable to Mendes's terms.

Naturally, Mendes made some concessions, one of which allowed Udinese to raise the buyout clause to 100 million euros. This move was strategic; it seemed as though Mendes was fixated on the buyout clause, but his real focus was on retaining image rights for Bruno.

With the new terms, if Udinese wanted to use Bruno's image, they would have to pay him a percentage of the profits from merchandise sales like jerseys bearing his name and number. This could potentially earn Bruno millions of euros annually.

"The specific terms of the contract are all set. I'll send a copy to your email. Check it, and if there are any issues, you can call me anytime. If there are no problems, we can arrange a time to sign," Mendes explained over the phone.

"Thank you, Jorge. You've worked hard," Bruno responded.

"Don't mention it. I earn a commission from your earnings, so serving you also benefits me," Mendes replied with a laugh.

"About the commission, do I need to deduct it from my salary?" Bruno inquired.

"No need for that," Mendes laughed. "Your money is yours. My commission comes from the club."

"From the club?" Bruno was surprised. He had always assumed that agents took their cuts directly from the player's salary.

"Yes, my cut is 10% of your salary, which isn't a lot. This isn't deducted from your pay; Udinese pays me separately based on your salary," Mendes clarified.

Bruno's previous annual salary was 1.2 million euros, so Mendes's 10% commission amounted to 120,000 euros—not a significant sum for an agent with many high-profile clients.

After hanging up, Bruno started to review the contract details sent via email. The new contract was for four years, one year less than his previous five-year contract, effectively not extending his tenure at Udinese.

His new annual salary before taxes was set at 3 million euros, more than double his initial contract, making him the highest-paid player at Udinese, commensurate with his on-field performances.

Besides his salary, bonuses were an essential part of his income at the club. Unlike Chinese clubs that offer per-game win bonuses, European clubs set target bonuses at the season's start, such as for winning the league or qualifying for the Champions League.

If the team achieved these goals, all players would receive bonuses in varying amounts based on their importance to the team. Thus, negotiating these bonus distributions was another critical role for agents in contract discussions.

Although the chances of Udinese winning the league were nearly non-existent, securing a Champions League spot was a realistic goal, and Bruno's bonus rate was the highest on the team, even surpassing captain Di Natale.

Additional bonuses for goals and assists were crucial for Bruno, given his scoring and assisting prowess. The exact figures for these bonuses were stipulated in the contract, which Bruno had agreed to after thorough discussions.

As for the buyout clause, it was set at 100 million euros, and stipulations were added that it could only be activated in the last year of the contract, preventing immediate poaching after the contract's second year.

This clause was designed to deter clubs from snatching Bruno away for a mere 100 million euros—a feasible sum for top clubs in La Liga and the Premier League. For instance, Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Real Madrid nearly reached 100 million euros five years ago, and Gareth Bale's transfer the previous summer hit 101 million euros.

Bruno understood that if he continued to perform well, it wouldn't be long before a major club offered a significant sum to lure him away from Udinese, potentially before his new contract even concluded. As he grew older and more consistent in his performances, more top clubs would likely express interest. And as Udinese's platform became increasingly limiting, advancing his career would necessitate a move to a bigger stage.

Already attracting attention from major clubs, the only reason a blockbuster transfer hadn't occurred yet was Bruno's relatively brief experience in top-tier leagues, which made these clubs hesitant to make a massive financial commitment.

(End of Chapter)