In Italy, clubs require immediate payment or a bank guarantee to sign a player. This contrasts with other European countries, such as Spain, England, and the Netherlands, where payment plans can be spread over four or five years. As a result, Como can sign five players from outside Italy for the same budget as one player from Italy. The club's rapid growth and emergence from obscurity have also made them a "pain in the ass" for Italian clubs, who struggle to sell their top talent to Como due to high prices.