In 2015, Liverpool signed Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim. But when the Brazilian joined, the club included an interesting, and perhaps slightly provocative, clause in his contract: a €98 million release clause that was only active if the interested club was not Arsenal. This meant Firmino could be bought by any other club, but not by the “Gunners.”
What provoked this clause? Back in 2013, Arsenal made one of the most scandalous offers in transfer market history, bidding £40,000,001 for Luis Suarez (literally £1 more than his pre-established release clause, aimed at compelling Liverpool to sell him). This not only infuriated Liverpool and their owner, John W. Henry, who later tweeted, “What do you think they’re smoking over there at the Emirates?”, but also drew serious attention to future transfer contracts.
It seems Liverpool decided that if Arsenal ever tried to poach another one of their top forwards, they would have to pay a serious sum for Firmino. This not only shows how previous provocations can be met with a response, but also Liverpool’s strategic approach to put obstacles in the way of a club that, by all accounts, tried to snatch their stars.