Scrapping of signing-on fees good for Ghana football - Haye Yartey

Player agent, Abdul Haye Yartey has urged Ghanaian clubs to learn from Kotoko’s decision to stop the payment of signing-on fees which is a huge amount of money usually paid to players when they join new clubs in the local league.

Haye Yartey says the practice is against the long-term interest of players and it is important Ghanaian clubs move on from it.

He observed that signing-on fees are a drain on clubs as they have to pay huge monies to clubs and players.

He held that scrapping signing-on fees and paying decent salaries is a major step in improving Ghana’s football.

“I agree with Nana Yaw 100% because salaries are compulsory when it comes to contracts but signing off fees are not compulsory. Signing-on fees are used to entice players. If you want to pay players well in this country then we must we do away with signing-on fees. You pay an expensive transfer fee to get the players and you have to pay a signing-on fee.

Haye Yartey recommended the inclusion of performance-related clauses in contracts instead of signing on fees.

He affirmed that these clauses will motivate players and coaches to give their best.

“When you go to Europe, a lot of clubs don’t do what we call singing-on fees. I will advise that we increase the salaries of players and then give performance enhancement contracts where you say if a player completes ten matches, his salary goes up. If he is a striker and he scores, he gets a certain percent. Loyalty bonuses and other stuff. These are the things we can do to improve the league”, he said.

Kumasi Asante Kotoko are the club who have shown their readiness to adopt this style of negotiations.

The club says, they will now spread the signing-on fees and pay players good instead of the meagre amount they receive currently.

This innovation is likely to cause Kotoko some problems as Ghanaian agents and players are used to receiving huge sums as signing-on fees.

Haye Yartey, however, believes the club will overcome the initial challenges.

“Changes are always difficult things to come by. We were not doing the right things giving signing-on fees. For me, it was not right. Kotoko is a huge brand so you the player must know what you want to get yourself into. It shouldn’t be that because you are not giving signing-on fees, you are not going to sign for Kotoko”.