Youth Academy Graduate Ego!
I started a career mode save from the bottom of the English pyramid, with Barnet fresh up from Non-League. My first academy class had a promising young Left Back named Bobby Savage, rated 65 overall at 17. I promptly promoted him to the senior team, and he far outclassed the rest of my team. He was second on the team with 11 assists as his wicked crosses into the box netted reliable header goals. He helped drag Barnet up to League One in their first season in League football.
As the next year began, and before I could even get into the league schedule, I get a notification from Mr. Savage. He tells me "Considering my contributions to the team and what you're paying other players, I feel like I should be on better money." He was still on the base academy pay of $472 a week with a 70 overall rating at this point, so I figured let's get this boy a raise. Mind you, he still has nearly 2 years on his contract. I go into negotiatons to give him a raise, and he wants to be considered Crucial. Of course! He asks for 3 year extension, no problem. No need for a release clause, so far so good.
Then out of the blue, he demands $30,000 a week, with a $400k bonus and a $1.6million performance kicker for 15 clean sheets. In League One. At Barnet. My total transfer budget at that point was around $500k, and I still needed to replace a long-term injured Callum Stead at the 10. My top incoming transfer to that point was making $2800 a week.
I offered him the best I could, somewhere around $8000 a week with a $50k bonus and a $150k performance bonus, but he shot me down.
Has anyone else had this kind of Ego explosion from their recent academy graduates? Is this some sort of bug? Does the bump up from League Two to League One usually merit this kind of salary inflation? None of my other players have asked for more than a reasonable increase throughout the year.
