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Release/buyout clauses are becoming increasingly prevalent in football in recent times, especially as the business of the game burgeons.
In Spain, a buyout clause, which is mandatory in a footballer's contract, has led to dramatic moments such as the one when PSG activated Neymar's gargantuan release clause of €222 million to make him the most expensive football player in the world.
Recently, Lionel Messi's humongous release clause led to him staying back in Barcelona despite almost putting pen to paper on a deal with Manchester City. Messi's contract did have a special clause that could let him walk away for free at the end of every season, but the date for the same had passed.
So what is a release clause in a football player's contract? Simply put, it is an amount stipulated in the player's contract that, if paid by another club, will automatically lead to the player being sold to that club. The release clause amount is usually higher than the market value of the football player and is aimed at deterring the player from moving on before his contract expires.
Sometimes though, despite a huge release clause, a football player is sold without activating the same. The most famous case of this in recent times was that of Cristiano Ronaldo being sold by Real Madrid to Juventus. Ronaldo reportedly had a €1 billion release clause in his contract with the La Liga giants.
10 highest release clauses in football
With release clauses becoming more of a norm and already dominating the football market in Spain, we take a look at the ten highest release clauses right now. (All amounts are in GBP.)
#T9 Gareth Bale - £423 million
Yes, the football world now knows that Gareth Bale's torrid time in Madrid has come to an end for now after Tottenham finalised a season-long loan deal to bring him back to the North London club. Bale, whose contract with Real Madrid runs till 2022, comes in at tenth on this list because of his huge release clause.
Bale, who fell out with Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane in recent times, has won every silverware possible for the La Liga giants and has contributed immensely to the club's success before running out of favour with the boss.
#T9 Gerard Pique - £423 million
It seems that Gerard Pique is staying on at Barcelona. This, despite the World Cup-winning central-defender offering to move away if the team felt a change was necessary following Barcelona's 2-8 drubbing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final.
Pique, 33, has won European and national honours multiple times for the club and has played for Barcelona more than 500 times. Like Bale, Pique's contract also runs till 2022 and his release clause is also of the same amount as that of the Welshman.
Pique, unlike Bale, remains in his club's scheme of things as Barcelona try to rebuild under Ronald Koeman.
#T5 Marco Asensio - £592.5 million
Marco Asensio is one of the most valued young attackers in Real Madrid's squad, and his release clause proves that the hierarchy and coach Zinedine Zidane believe that he is the future of the club. He has already scored 30 times and assisted in 20 goals and has a bright future ahead.
#T5 Vinicius Jr. - £592.5 million
Vinicius Jr. is another extremely talented winger whom the Real Madrid hierarchy value as much as Asensio. To get him from Flamengo, Madrid paid the highest amount for any football player under the age of 19. Still just 20, Vinicius Jr. played 29 times in the league last season as Madrid won the La Liga.
#T5 Isco - £592.5 million
Isco has been a pillar in the attacking-third for Real Madrid over the last few seasons and has already won three Champions League, three Club World Cup and two La Liga titles for Los Blancos. He has scored 70 times and assisted in 65 goals during this successful period for the club.
The 28-year-old attacking midfielder's latest contract runs till 2022. It is safe to say that not many clubs will try to snatch him away by activating his huge buyout clause during this period.
#T5 Lionel Messi - £592.5 million
It is interesting to note that Lionel Messi's release clause is same as that of the Real Madrid trio mentioned above. But it is the one most in the news in recent times. That is because this gargantuan release clause has prevented possibly the greatest contemporary footballer to leave the club which he catapulted to the top of football and which helped him rise to the summit in a symbiotic relationship. Such was the extent of the falling out between the club hierarchy and La Pulga!
However, a special clause in Messi's contract allows him to walk away for free at the end of every season, with the cut-off date for the same being May 31. Messi and his team attempted to trigger this clause in August because of the protracted football season this year engendered by the pandemic.
Messi and Co. did not succeed because Barcelona were not letting their most prized asset walk away from the club, at least till 2021 when his contract ends.
#T3 Brahim Diaz - £634.9 million
That Brahim Diaz is so high on this list tells us enough about the potential that the 21-year-old forward has. But Diaz could not break into the Real Madrid first-team last season due to the continued brilliance of Karim Benzema.
Diaz has now moved on a season-long loan deal to AC Milan where the highly-valued striker is sure to get much deserved game-time. His contract with Real Madrid is till 2025, and it is a given that they will want their prized asset back soon enough.
#T3 Luka Modric - £634.9 million
Now 35, Luka Modric is often the subject of speculation that his magical playmaking powers are on the wane. But the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner continues to survive the pessimism as he came back to his best after a poor 2018-19 season.
Modric played 40 times for Real Madrid at the centre of the park last season, scoring five times and picking up six assists as Zinedine Zidane's wards brought the league title back to Madrid.
Modric has done it all at the La Liga giants but remains hungry for more. With his contract expiring next year, he has already expressed his wish to retire as a Real Madrid player.
#2 Antoine Griezmann - £677.2 million
After becoming one of the premier players in the world during a brilliant spell at Atletico Madrid, big things were expected of Antoine Griezmann when he moved to Nou Camp last season.
He has, however, failed to live up to the expectations so far. This, despite scoring 15 times last season. That is because Griezmann was supposed to rekindle the MSN magic with Luis Suarez and Messi. They failed to be on the same wavelength often enough, though, as Barcelona went trophyless in a disastrous season.
With Griezmann's contract running till 2024, he will get one more chance to resurrect his Barcelona career under Koeman this time. Interestingly, Griezmann was bought by Barcelona from Atletico after activating his buyout clause. His current release clause, however, is the second-highest in the world.
#1 Karim Benzema - £846.7 million
Karim Benzema possibly remains the premier centre-forward in the world and seems to be going from strength to strength at Real Madrid.
After the departure of Ronaldo and the decline of Gareth Bale, Benzema has taken on more responsibility as the fulcrum of Real Madrid's attack. With 21 goals and eight assists last season, he led the team gallantly as Madrid won the league, and there seems to be no stopping the Frenchman.
Benzema's current contract expires in 2022, but Real Madrid may end up offering him an extension despite him being 32 because of the red-hot form he is in and the immense accolades he has brought to the club over the years. His astronomical release clause will ensure that no one even attempts to snare him before that.
