Peterborough United chairman admits feeling 'bitter' over Bundesliga move for Ricky-Jade Jones as he turned down several Championship clubs
Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has said that Ricky-Jade Jones’ move to the Bundesliga ‘stings’ and has left him feeling bitter but the player’s agent has taken exception to those comments.
The former Posh striker announced that he will be joining German side St Pauli after the expiration of his contract this summer.
Jones will move on a free transfer after enjoying the best goal scoring season of his career to date with 18 goals in all competitions (11 in League One).
Even if a players under the age of 24 leave on a free transfer, the club signing him must pay compensation to his previous clubs for costs incurred during his development, however, this fee is significantly reduced when the transfer is to a club outside of England. In this case, Posh will be due a much smaller amount of ‘training compensation’ because Jones has moved outside of England.
The 22-year-old has been at Posh since the age of nine and could have commanded a hefty compensation fee had he stayed in England.
Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony took to X after the move was announced to say that Jones had turned down Championship interest and that his decision to move to Germany did ‘sting.’
He said: “He turned down four brilliant Championship clubs to do this move which has cost his home town club a lot of money.
"Not going to lie, it stings and makes me bitter for the moment as the kid has been with us so many years and I couldn't have been more supportive of him but we move on and don’t look back.
"This is football and it can kick you in the nuts at times.”
Jones’s agent, Liam Bowes, who represents him through OYS Sports Management, took exception to the chairman’s public comments and responded: “Not normally my style to do this but if we’re going public on this let’s talk facts!
"St Pauli showed a desire and career plan to develop him. He could have chased money but he didn’t.
"He wanted to test himself in a top 5 Euro league. It’s his career. Nobody else’s!”
Despite the long association between Jones and the club (he joined aged 9), his exit was announced on social media by simply stating: “The Club can confirm that Ricky-Jade Jones will leave Posh on the expiry of his contract this summer and join German side FC St. Pauli.”
Posh also missed out on a £1 million windfall this summer after both Coventry and Sheffield United were beaten in the Championship Play-Offs by Sunderland. Promotion for either club would have triggered clauses in the contracts of Ephron Mason-Clark and Harrison Burrows respectively.