Difference is in negotiations with your friend and through transfers/negotiation tab:
-when you want to buy player from friend, you can buy any player who has quallity 3-5*
-when you want to buy player through transfers/negotiations tab, you can buy players which have only 1 skill point less than scout quallity (eg. def50, att49.8, phy50)
If that token rich friend is 2 levels lower than you and you have 3* player which you don't need, that player on his level has 5*.