How a player auction works in a football manager
A player auction is a sale in which several clubs bid money for a player for a fixed time, and at the close the highest offer takes him.
The auction is the most transparent market system: no fixed prices and no private negotiations. The seller sets a floor, the interested clubs bid and the market decides what the player is really worth.
In ELDT every auction lasts 3 days. If someone bids in the last 3 minutes it is extended by 3 more, so nobody wins in the final second. When it closes the player moves to the winner and the money moves at once; if nobody bid, he stays at his club. The minimum increment depends on the amount: $10,000 up to $500,000, $50,000 up to $5M, $200,000 up to $20M and $500,000 from there up. You can also set a maximum bid: the game raises your offer on its own, by the minimum needed, never beyond your limit, even while you are offline. Nobody sees your maximum.
Beware of bidding wars: a 10% commission is added to the final price. Auctions have no reserve, and if your cash goes into the red afterwards your team performs 20% worse until you fix it.
See it in the game: the manager's guide.
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See also: online football manager · guides on the blog