The industry is changing

The structure of player transfers are changing. More than ever, clubs are negotiating multi-layered deals that include conditional fees based on appearances, goals, promotions, resale percentages, and more.

Contingency payments and clauses now make up over 15% of total transfer values in top-tier leagues, a significant jump from just 3% a decade ago.

Traditionally, spreadsheets have been the default tool for tracking these obligations. However, as the volume and complexity of contingent payments increase, spreadsheets are becoming more of a liability than an asset.

The risk of errors, missed deadlines, and oversight will only increase as the volume increases and that can have huge knock on effects to clubs. 

We saw a clear need for a better solution because we've heard first hand from clubs the challenges around missing payments, slow invoicing and sometimes - surprise obligations being exercised that completely change the available transfer budget.

What is Contingency AI?

Contingency AI is a contract management platform designed specifically for football clubs. It helps clubs track, manage, and forecast contingency payments with accuracy and efficiency, automating large parts of a typically manual operation.

The platform supports three primary areas:

Transfers Out – Track expected income from sell-on clauses and performance-related fees. Get alerted when triggers are met and improve long-term financial forecasting for any player sales. 

Transfers In – Monitor and prepare for potential outgoing payments related to players under contract to ensure there are no surprises around things like obligations to buy.

Player Contracts – Manage salary-related clauses, including performance bonuses and appearance-based incentives to ensure players are paid on time, every time.

How It Works

Users can upload contracts manually or use our AI-assisted upload tool to extract and log contingency clauses.

From there, the system monitors relevant performance data and provides alerts, forecasts, and monthly reports that help clubs stay on top of obligations and create transparency over who is accessing, amending and invoicing these clauses.

Key features include:

1. Clause trigger alerts

2. Monthly tracking reports

3. Short- and medium-term forecasting

4. Unified dashboard for obligations and opportunities

Looking ahead, this is the first iteration of this product and we see real value in building more  of a self-service model for Sporting Directors and other key stakeholders, who can come into the platform and evaluate a range of possible scenarios around player acquisition/sales to prepare for different strategic outcomes. 

Who it’s designed for

Contingency AI is built for key decision-makers in football clubs, including:

CFOs and Finance Directors | Accuracy in forecasting
Contingency AI provides automated projections to empower better decision-making across the club. Gain clarity on cash flow and risk exposure.

Finance Teams | Reduce manual workload
Remove the manual pressures of tracking contingencies and variable payments at scale.

Sporting Directors | Real-time access to information
Self-serve information on potential outcomes and budgets, reducing the constant need to produce insights.

HR & Payroll | Ensure salaries are paid on time
Automatically export payroll data from the platform, to pay player salaries on time and accurately.

Clubs that have completed at least 20 outgoing transfers in the past decade stand to benefit most immediately.

Why it matters

We've built this platform with clubs across the globe central to the development program, helping to steer our development of the solution to deliver the right value for clubs based on their lived experiences.

Through this process, we've heard first hand some real life stories on the impact that inefficient contingency tracking can have on clubs.

One club nearly missed a €1million payment due to delayed recognition of a promotion-based trigger.

Another missed out on a better transfer target because they discovered a €200,000 windfall too late, which if realised sooner would have allowed them to meet their top target's asking price. 

Others have inadvertently triggered purchase obligations by mismanaging appearance thresholds on loan players and as such, have had their transfer plans completely changed. 

These examples illustrate that the issue is real. It is an everyday risk for clubs across the globe and footballing pyramid.

Clubs are leaving money on the table or absorbing unnecessary costs because their systems haven’t kept up with the evolution of the game.

Moving forward

Contingency payments are no longer optional, they’re central to how deals are structured. Clubs must manage them with the same professionalism and strategic focus they bring to recruitment, performance and compliance.

Contingency AI offers clubs a modern solution: clear visibility, reduced risk, and operational control in an area that has long been overlooked.

For more information on Contingency AI, head to this page to schedule a call.