A compressed timeline of the a senior squad figure file, rebuilt from desks covering Mainz and Mainz.
Phase one — enquiry
Early contact established interest. No fee table yet; just sporting alignment and a sense of whether Mainz would listen.
Phase two — structure
Instalments, add-ons, and wage shape enter the conversation. This is usually where social media races ahead of reality.
Phase three — now (2026-07-23)
Current label: news. How smaller clubs still invent value.
“Timelines leak. Agreements do not — until they are ready.”