There are 2 sets of rules for development costs. One for players in the academy, I think it applies to under 16s. The other for professionals. In order to get compensation, the club needs to have offered the player a new deal on terms at least equal to his previous contract and naturally that offer has been rejected by the player. In the James Wilson scenario, we can't do that because his current salary is somewhere in the £750K - £1m region (the starting point for all the McNair/Blackett/Pereira/Tuanzebe/TFM/McTominay/CBJ type contracts signed by players who have just broken into the first team squad), while the type of clubs interested in him might be willing to pay him £100K - £300K a year (average striker salary in League One, less desirable Championship teams, most Scottish clubs not called Celtic or Rangers).
Our best option at this point is to sell him in the winter transfer window while he is still under contract. A minimal fee plus sell-on percentage might be acceptable to Aberdeen. If he is performing brilliantly, we could use the + 1 year option on his current deal then hope to get a better offer in the summer.
http://fullcontactlaw.co.uk/2016/11/compensation-players-24-mystery/
The relevant bit of the rules is:
67.3
Subject to the provisions of this Regulation 67, any Club which makes an offer in accordance with Regulation 67.2 of re engagement to a Contract Player who is an Under 24 Player and which is in the opinion of the Board not less favourable than the Player’s current contractual terms, shall be entitled to a Compensation Fee in respect of the loss of the Player’s registration, should the Player sign for another Club. In order to comply with this Regulation, the annual value of the terms offered must be at least equivalent to the most favourable year’s terms in the Player’s previous contract. The terms offered to Players for re engagements must be as favourable overall except that a signing on fee included in the previous contract and stated to be a once only payment need not be repeated.
