West Ham are likely to go to tribunal to set a compensation fee for Divin Mubama who is set to leave this summer.
He will able to join a club from 1 July as a free agent with Sunderland being one of the English clubs chasing his signature
Where a professional player, under the age of 24, has been offered a new contract by his club (subject to certain requirements that the offer must meet set out in Rule 64.3 of the Football League Rules) and he rejects that offer in order to take up the opportunity to sign for another club, compensation will be payable.
In some cases, clubs will reach mutual agreement on a compensation fee.
However, in others the two clubs’ valuations will differ, sometimes significantly, and the matter will need to be settled through an arbitration process.
That process is operated by the Professional Football Compensation Committee (PFCC). The PFCC is incorporated under the rules of both The Football League and Premier League, and forms part of the collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Footballers’ Association. The PFCC comprises of an independent Chairman, appointees from The Football League and Premier League (as appropriate), an appointee of The Professional Footballers’ Association and an appointee of the League Managers’ Association.
PFCC hearings require each club to provide evidence to support their valuation of the player in question. In making its judgment the committee will take into account the costs of both clubs in operating a Football Academy or Centre of Excellence, as well as the age and playing record of the player, the length of time he was registered with his original club, the terms offered by both clubs, the status of the two clubs, the substantiated interest shown by other clubs in acquiring the registration of the player and any amounts paid by the original club to acquire the player in the first place.
That was the case with West Ham player Robert who joined Bolton as a free agent after rejecting the Hammers offer of a new contract.
Robert Hall had signed a professional contract at West Ham aged 17, and made four first team league appearances for West Ham. He also enjoyed successful loan spells, including in particular at Birmingham City and represented England at under 16 through to under 19 level.
Allowing his contract to expire, aged 20 Hall signed a three-year contract at Bolton Wanderers.
The PFCC decided that Bolton should pay West Ham an initial compensation fee of £450,000
Additionally, £250,000 will be due if Bolton are promoted to the Premier League in the next 3 seasons.
£2,500 per appearance was ordered for the first 100 appearances (for Bolton) in the Championship, or £10,000 per appearance for the first 100 appearances (for Bolton) if in the Premier League.
He went on to make 34 appearances for Bolton earning the Hammers an additional £85,000 before the end of his contract leaving on a free transfer for Oxford.
Now aged 30 Robert plays for Hampton and Richmond