Why clubs sometimes list transfer deals as 'undisclosed'
BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team answered reader questions this week about the Premier League transfer window, including why clubs sometimes record fees as "undisclosed" and how homegrown and sell-on rules operate.
Christian Norgaard has joined Everton from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee, an example used to open the discussion about why clubs keep fees private. The response explained undisclosed fees let clubs keep rivals uncertain about how much of their transfer budget has been spent and how much remains to reinvest in replacements, though agents and other sources often reveal fees. The answer also noted that deals involving clubs listed on stock markets — cited examples were Lyon and Juventus — may force one party to declare the exact fee and any variables, even when the Premier League club describes the transfer as undisclosed.
A homegrown player was defined in the piece as one who, regardless of nationality or age, "has been affiliated with any English or Welsh club for a period of three entire seasons or 36 months before their 21st birthday." The same rules apply to players who have three seasons or 36 months as a registered player prior to the end of the season in which that player turns 21. The article contrasted those rules with UEFA's, saying UEFA counts qualifying years only between ages 15 and 21, whereas the Premier League’s qualifying period starts earlier, and gave Chelsea's Brazilian striker Joao Pedro as an example: the 23-year-old, born in Sao Paulo, joined Watford in January 2020 aged 18.
"Correct, Mike." The reply used Eric Dier as an example of a player listed as non-homegrown because he spent less than the three required years at English clubs before turning 21. It then gave a reverse example in Noni Madueke, who was classed as homegrown despite a spell at PSV Eindhoven between ages 16 and 20 because he had "spent around seven years playing academy football for Crystal Palace and then Tottenham Hotspur" before moving to Eindhoven. The piece also explained that, despite being born in Amsterdam and playing for the Netherlands, Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong qualifies as homegrown because he "spent nine years in Manchester City's academy between 2010 and 2019."
BBC Sport understands Manchester City will retain a 20% sell-on clause for James Trafford after his move to Leeds. The article then outlined how sell-on fees typically work with a numerical example: Team A sells a player to Team B for £5m, Team B later sells that player to Team C for £20m, creating a £15m profit; a 10% sell-on on the profit would therefore be worth £1.5m to Team A. It added that sell-on payments are usually aligned with the transfer payment schedule — if Team C pays £20m in four instalments, Team B would pay the sell-on to Team A in four instalments — but noted the original contract could require a different arrangement and that Team A could negotiate immediate payment at a cost.
This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team and is part of a wider set of reader questions answered this week, which also covered: What are the rules on transfer window player swaps? Why is the EFL Cup being played on a weekend? What are the new financial rules Premier League clubs must stick to? What has changed in FPL for 2026-27 season?
More information on Premier League squad list rules is available here.
