Flores capture impossible, say Reds

A Reds media statement read: “Adelaide United acknowledges Marcos Flores’s right to sign with Melbourne Victory but refutes any assertion or allegation that the club did not act reasonably or commercially to secure his services within the extremely restricted time frame between the date of the termination of his Chinese contract and today.

”To the contrary for reasons set out below, Adelaide United could not have done any more than it did.

”Had Flores given the club more time to make space within the salary cap, a deal may have been possible. That however did not occur as Flores decided to join Melbourne Victory.”

The club released a record of its negotiations and contact with Flores:

June 2011: A contract offer to Flores of $1million for three years was rejected. Flores demanded to be released to China citing Melbourne Victory was an option in the January transfer window if he was not released.

April 2012: Whilst still under contract in China, Flores’s agents put a proposal to Adelaide United for a $575,000 package per year to return to Adelaide. The club declined the deal.

May 2012: Adelaide United made its highest ever offer for a player or coach for Flores to return to Adelaide. This was rejected by Flores’ agents.

June 2012: Flores’s agents put another proposal to Adelaide which was beyond the club’s means.

Adelaide said it had 22 contracted players for 2012-2013 during the period of negotiation with little room in the salary cap, making it virtually impossible to act in the recruiting portfolio.

At the same time Flores’s agents were negotiating with other A-League clubs which was their right.

Adelaide said the two overriding factors in the Flores signing are: the club could not afford his demands and Melbourne Victory, a club with a turnover of $13 million, has more resources than Adelaide which has a turnover of $6 million.