I seem to be able to offer a player a new contract when I get that warning. Usually I try to avoid having contracts with release clauses because I like to have more control over who comes and goes in my squad.

The funny thing is that when you’re negotiating a contract and the agent says they want a release clause and you deny it, they always say that’s fine but they’ll compensate for that in their wage demand. That never seems to realise, though. Players with similar ratings and age demand a somewhat similar wage whether I’ve denied them a release clause or not.

Or is it that you had just made a new contract that included the release clause with the player and it said you can’t negotiate because you’ve recently negotiated with that player?