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With his current contract with Chelsea ready to expire, Dominic Solanke agreed to make the trip to Merseyside to join Liverpool to continue his development. Had Solanke transferred to a different league, Chelsea would be entitled to a minimal quarter of a million pound fee. Of course, that didn’t happen, and the Blues will be expecting a great deal more.
The two sides are currently trying to agree on a fee before it goes to a tribunal to determine the proper compensation, however they appear to be quite far apart in their valuation. Liverpool reportedly offered £3 million for the 19-year-old striker. The initial bid was rejected by Chelsea, first demanding £8 million, but now seeking closer to £10 million after Solanke’s stand out performance at the u-20 World Cup. You know, because Chelsea are really strapped for cash.
With such a substantial gap, this case appears more likely than not to go to a tribunal. For some points of reference, Chelsea had to fork over £6.5 million to Manchester City for Daniel Sturridge in 2009, and Liverpool needed to compensate Burnley to the tune of £8 million for Danny Ings. The tribunal system does not, apparently, offer any kind of insurance for strikers who will spend a majority of their careers in the physio room.
In the likely event of a tribunal, the process can last the better part of a year. Danny Ings fee was not decided until the end of April, nearly 10 months after completing the move to Liverpool, and 6 months after his first devastating ACL injury.