Premier League Transfers: Why Some Fees Stay Undisclosed and Other Questions Answered

Andrew from New Forest asked why clubs sometimes choose not to reveal the transfer fees involved in player deals. The simple reason is that clubs want to keep their financial moves secret from rivals. By hiding how much they've spent, teams make it harder for others to judge their remaining budget or know what funds are available for replacements.

In today's world, this secrecy often feels a bit pointless because transfer fees often leak out through agents or other sources anyway. Interestingly, some clubs abroad, like Lyon and Juventus, must report exact fees to stock market authorities. English teams might call these fees 'undisclosed' even when the foreign club reveals the true amount. Yet, Premier League clubs still prefer to keep quiet.

What Defines a Homegrown Player?

A homegrown player is someone who has been registered with any English or Welsh club for at least three full seasons or 36 months before they turn 21. Nationality doesn't matter here; what counts is the length of time spent developing at these clubs.

Take Chelsea's Brazilian striker Joao Pedro as an example. Though born in Sao Paulo and aged 23, he joined Watford at 18 in January 2020 and qualifies under these rules.

The Premier League's definition differs from UEFA’s, which only counts time between ages 15 and 21. The Premier League starts counting from a younger age.

Does The Rule Work in Reverse?

Mike from Bath asked about Eric Dier, who was not classed as homegrown despite being English and having played for England. This is because he completed his youth education in Portugal and spent less than three years at English clubs before turning 21. So birthplace and nationality don’t guarantee homegrown status; it's about where the football education happened.

On the flip side, Noni Madueke is homegrown, even though he played for PSV Eindhoven between ages 16 and 20 before joining Chelsea. His earlier seven years in English academies made him qualify.

How Does Jeremie Frimpong Qualify as Homegrown?

Daniel from Derby wondered about Liverpool’s Jeremie Frimpong, who was born in Amsterdam and plays internationally for the Netherlands. He counts as homegrown because he spent nine years in Manchester City's academy from 2010 to 2019.

More details on squad rules can be found on the Premier League website.

How Do Sell-On Fees Work?

Nick from Brentford asked about sell-on fees and who pays them, especially if transfer payments happen in stages.

Here's how it usually works:

• Team A sells a player to Team B for £5 million.
• Team B later sells that player to Team C for £20 million.
• The sell-on fee applies to the profit made by Team B, which is £15 million (the difference between £20 million and £5 million).
• If the sell-on clause is 10%, Team A gets £1.5 million.

The payment schedule for the sell-on fee typically matches how Team C pays Team B. For instance, if Team C pays in four installments, Team B will pay Team A in four installments too. Team A only receives money once Team B has been paid.

This is a general guideline. Sometimes contracts say the sell-on fee must be paid in full immediately, or Team A might negotiate to get the fee earlier, possibly accepting a lower amount.

Other Transfer Window Questions

• Rules around player swaps during the transfer window
• Reasons the EFL Cup games happen on weekends
• New financial regulations Premier League clubs need to follow
• Changes in Fantasy Premier League for the 2026-27 season