A row has broken out between the company that owns three-quarters of Marcos Rojo's playing rights, and his current club, Sporting Lisbon. Depending on which website you choose to read, that's either a good thing for the Argentine's suitors, Manchester United, or a bad one.
In other words, no one really seems to what's going on at all.
In an attempt to clear things up, here are the facts:
- United are reported to have lodged a £16 million bid for Rojo. Louis van Gaal's interest has been corroborated by several pretty good sources, so we can assume this to be true.
- In a bid to force a transfer, Rojo went on strike, refusing to train with Sporting. In response, the club's president Bruno de Carvalho subjected the defender to "strong disciplinary measures," and banned him from playing the season opener.
- Sporting -- who have confirmed they'd have to pay Spartak Moscow 20 per cent of any Rojo transfer fee over £4m -- are said by Eurosport to be waiting for a figure "closer to the player's £24m release clause."
- However, this seems to have got the company that owns 75 per cent of Rojo, Doyen Sports, rather annoyed. They would like to sell the player, presumably so they can make some tidy cash for themselves. Doyen acknowledge that "Sporting is entirely within its rights not to transfer the player Marcos Rojo," though equally they will "use all legal resources at our disposal to defend fully all our interests and rights."
- Sporting, meanwhile, don't seem to want to have anything to do with Doyen any longer, claiming they've had "just cause" to terminate their agreement with the meddling company.
No? Me neither. Just pay the damn buyout clause, Ed.