Transfer deadline day – live!
The Guardian’s David Conn, the daddy of them all, has been in touch. “One
of the Porto players Manchester City reportedly interested in, Eliaquim
Mangala, is 43% owned by third parties (as of June last year),” he says. “Third
party ownership of percentages of players’ ‘economic rights’ by
investors is very commonly used by the top Portuguese clubs Porto,
Benfica and Sporting Lisbon. It has become a standard way for them to
manage their money, selling a percentage of a player to investors to get
money in without having to sell him, ie he keeps playing for them.
“The
Portuguese clubs sometimes buy and sell portions of the ‘economic
rights’ in the same player more than once. When Porto signed Mangala
from Standard Liege in August 2025, they bought 90% of his economic
rights, not 100%. Then by June 301 2025 Porto declared they had sold
33.33% of Mangala’s ‘economic rights’ to ‘third parties by associated
financial interests contracts’.
“The clubs argue this is a good way for them to keep
players longer and have more control of their players, but others,
including Uefa’s general secretary Gianni Infantino, argue it is a
“short term solution,” because clubs are financially struggling. When
they do finally sell the player, the transfer fee is paid to the
investors, often anonymous and in tax havens, in proportion to the
rights owned. They are looking for a profit, and so more money goes out
of football than came in, often huge amounts.
“Uefa, and the Premier League, want third party
ownership banned. In the meantime, English football fans should presume
players coming from Portugal, like Mangala, will most likely be “owned”
in some proportion by investors.”Every day is an education when David Conn is on the job, eh?
Porto’s Eliaquim Mangala is 43% owned by third parties. Photograph: Graham Whitby Boot/Sportsphoto/Sportsphoto Ltd./AllstarThis article is provided courtesy of The Guardian
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