Fit transfer measurement explained: Michael Olise, Sandro Tonali

Transfers are a huge part of football, and they are as chaotic and unpredictable as the great game on the pitch we all know and love.

A lot of work happens invisibly using scouts, sports directors, agents, and mediators, to determine if the player is suitable for their team, both in terms of what they can offer on the field, and if they are realistic and accessible.

When it comes to reporting on football transfers, we know that fans are eager to get inside information on the players their teams are chasing, but also to gain an understanding of what the player can offer, and realistic expectations about how good a piece of business could be.

This type of analysis goes on inside football clubs all the time, and although there can be no foolproof way to guarantee that every signing will be successful, our years of experience covering the transfer market have given us some insight into what clubs do to evaluate players and how that guides their recruitment decisions.

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With that in mind, we aim to provide our readers with our scoring system, to help make player links more contextual and give fans not just a news story, but hopefully a glimpse of what the deal means for their club’s future.

We have compiled the following five categories, each of which will be rated out of five for a total of 25 points for each player. The higher the score the better, and these are the categories we’ve chosen as the most important, with a full explanation of what they mean…

Transfer fee

This one is pretty simple – how much will this player cost? Are they in a big league, with a long-term contract? If so, it will probably end up being too expensive to be worth it. Transfer fees and asking prices can obviously change depending on clauses, if the player is unhappy, and if the club sees another similar player suddenly leaving for a higher or lower price than expected.

Working

This is very important – how well is Player X doing? We will do everything in our power to reduce the numbers, whether it is goals and assists for attacking players, or tackles and blocking for defensive players. This will be based on recent form, because fans deserve to know if the big name they are linked with has been underperforming recently. Even a goalscoring machine like Erling Haaland can go through a dry spell, and whether that’s a short-term blip or the start of a long-term decline isn’t always clear, but here and now it’s something to consider.

Achievements

While recent performances are important, there will also be times when a club is looking for someone or is aware that their best years may be behind them. Although there is often much talk about the need to find the best talents before they reach their peak, sometimes there is a clear need to add an experienced head coach to balance the youth of the team, and to provide guidance in the training room and dressing room as much as on the pitch. Of course, some players will have loads of games and trophies under their belt at a young age, which adds to their value.

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Work class

Does the player just break through and cause a sensation? Did they just come to the top and find themselves a big fish ready to leave the small pond? Do they look more expensive if they have maybe two or three years left on them? We will do our best to convey that at this rate.

A group requirement

Are we looking for a player who will quickly prove a huge improvement on what the club already has, or is he a top player? Is this proposed transfer of money perhaps a waste of time because they have spent their career as a defender but now they are linked with a team that plays with a back four? We will use this section to test how much Player X is needed by anyone who is connected.

Weak, medium, or strong?

After taking all of that into consideration, we’ll give a total score out of 25 to rate how strong this player is.

0-8 = LOW

9-17 = INTERMEDIATE

18-25 = HIGH

Michael Olise Transfer Fit Rating

So, to take one example doing the rounds at the moment, Michael Olise is being linked to Liverpool and is a world class player, approaching his prime, the only problem being his price.

Unsurprisingly, this gets a high score from us…Olise could be Liverpool’s best signing right now!

Julian Alvarez Transfer Fit Rating

While it might make sense to think of Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez as a ceiling for Arsenal, who lack a world-class striker, our verdict paints a mixed picture, considering his huge price tag and recent dip in form.

Sandro Tonali Transfer Fit rating

Finally, an example of a signing we would not recommend to Arsenal is Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali.

It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean he’s a bad player by any stretch of the imagination, and maybe at a different club we’d get him a much higher score, but he’s been heavily linked with Arsenal in recent times and it’s hard to justify based on his potential cost and the current club’s needs.