known issue Unrealistic Transfer Offers for Users Teams vs CPU Teams

[woodwardm28]

I have been playing FM since 2006 or so. Up until this year, I have been mostly happy with the games. However, in this year's game, I have had some extreme issues with transfers and it is starting to frustrate me a lot. 

My first save, I started in the Bundesliga. After a year or so, I was hired by RB Leipzig (pre-winter transfer update). I won the league my first full season, but my second season was completely hijacked because I kept receiving extremely unrealistic transfer offers that, when rejected, unsettled my players. For example, I had Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate starting every single game. Neither were transfer listed. Both were playing well. Both had 3-4 years left on their contracts that they had just recently signed. One team comes in and offers something like $19 mil for Upamecano, whose value was something like $60 mil at the time. I of course reject that and he became unsettled because I rejected the offer. No team in their right mind would accept that, but it was still offered and still unsettled my best defender. I then received an offer of something like $17 mil for Konate, whose value was $51 mil. He also became unsettled because I rejected it. I ended up having to keep Upamecano on the bench most of the year because he was too unsettled to perform. After the season, I had to sell him for less than I would have ever liked. I lost more games by October than I had the entire season before.

 

When I would offer for players on bad teams, it never unsettled them and forced them to sell. Their asking price is always way above the value even though the majority of the offers I receive for non-transfer listed players are below the value. For example, in my current save (post winter transfer update), I am Aston Villa in my second season. In our first season, we finished 5th and are now in the Europa League group stages. Emile Smith Rowe was unsettled and wanted to leave. So I enquired. His value is $36 mil. Arsenal wanted $234 mil, plus one of my best youth players, plus 40% of his next transfer. Even when the computer transfer lists people, they ask for exorbitant prices. On the RBL save I mentioned before, Tottenham had several players transfer listed whose value was something like $48 mil and they were asking for $130 mil for each. On this Aston Villa save, Tielemans is transfer listed with a value of $52 mil and an asking price of $101 mil.

 

I don't mind these asking prices because this is how it should be for good, young players, but I just don't get why the game is so hypocritical and why my players get unsettled with these absurd offers when the computer players don't and the computer doesn't accept these same types of offers coming in. I am currently on the transfer deadline day for August and I received three offers. Man City offered $40 mil for Grealish who is home grown and whose value is $51 mil. He is not transfer listed or unsettled and is playing every game with 4 years left on his contract. Why would I ever accept that offer and why would a team ever even insult me with that offer? Meanwhile, in real life, the transfer rumored to be on offer is over $100 mil (as it should be). I also got an offer for Tyrone Mings, who has started almost every game for me and is homegrown. Roma is offering $17 mil. His value is $18 mil, he is not transfer listed or unsettled and he has 3 years remaining on his contract. Wolfsburg offered $14 mil for Matty Cash (also home grown) whose value is 19 mil. He is not unsettled. None of these offers make any sense. If I took over another team and went and asked about any of these players, Aston Villa would counter for 3x these prices. Same with RBL, Upamecano, barring some sort of release clause, would have commanded $70-100 mil if I was the one offering RBL for him, so why is the computer coming in for $19 mil? Even if I do transfer list someone and try to sell them, the offers are way, way below their value and I have to settle for peanuts just to offload some payroll (if my board doesn't reject it for being too low).

 

So again, love the FM series, but I'm not sure whats going on with this year's rendition and why these offers are so extraordinarily unrealistic, but I really hope FM22 is not like this. 

[Viktor Ilivanov]

Hello and thanks for the feedback.

 

There is a known issue with AI teams making sub-par offers for user's players, which is currently looked into 

 

Transfer pricing for players like Smith-Rowe and Tielemans are okay - both clubs aren't really interested in letting the players go, hence the bloated fees. There's different reasons to transferlist a player and sometimes clubs can request such sums out of spite (when the player requested the transfer). In most cases, the general rule of "transferlisted players are usually available at a knock-down price" remains true.

 

Kind regards,

Vik

[FrazT]

@Viktor Ilivanov

I note and appreciate that this issue is known, but thought that I would add a few examples from my current save in the first few days of the Jan 2028 transfer window,

Player involved is 22, current Czech international with 48 caps, 27 goals, 2.5 years left on his contract, delighted with his game time alternating with my top striker.  His in-game value is IMO very low for his skill set but is 31.5m and accepting the normal set up of supply and demand, I would expect to be getting bids of 60m plus to even get me considering this.

Attached are 3 screenshots showing bids that are around 50-70% of his in-game value, which frankly is nonsense, but of course the player gets upset.

I have also a player who was transfer listed by request, without a wanted fee ( since they are totally inconsequential ).  He is apparently worth 39.5m and I received offers of 59m from PSG and Barcelona on the same day.  I am looking for around 80m, so they were both rejected and 2 days later they both came back with the exact same offer of 59m.  Both rejected again and lo and behold another 2 days later I get 2 more offers of 59m!  Surely the AI code must recognise that if their bid is rejected, I am not remotely likely to accept the same bid 2 days later?

 3 screenshots of bids attached

[FrazT]

@Viktor IlivanovI don't want to harp on about this, but it is now getting silly later in that transfer window with offers for the same player:

Man Utd now want to loan the player, pay a small fee and a % of his wages and then buy him for 20m plus some future add ons.

However, take a look at the next offer for him- Athletico Madrid want to loan him, no monthly fee, no wage contribution at all and to buy him for up to 13.5m, just over 40% of his in-game value.  Please explain what the AI's logic is with this bid

[Viktor Ilivanov]

3 hours ago, FrazT said:

Please explain what the AI's logic is with this bid

 

Cheers for the additional examples!

 

As for the quoted bit - is it really necessary when we've established that there is an issue with AI offers on long-term saves? 

I understand your frustration, but some of these bids can still be negotiated and more money can be requested (you can attempt to semi-lock or padlock the demanded fee).

 

Kind regards,

Vik 

[FrazT]

Hi, Viktor

Thanks for the update and of course I am aware that the issue is under review.  My question was probably rhetorical and even allowing for the fact that some bids are negotiable, I was struggling to understand the game logic with this kind of bid at this level.  I look forward to a better experience with FM 22