Arsenal's patience has quite literally paid off as the club seem set to receive a transfer windfall ahead of the summer window opening, from the latest sale of Matteo Guendouzi
Arsenal are to head into the summer transfer window with a boost to their Financial Fair Play (FFP) status, thanks to the sell-on clause of Matteo Guendouzi.
The midfielder departed the Emirates Stadium in 2021, signing for Marseille. The Gunners had been paid around £730,000 a year earlier by the French club for his services on loan, then pocketed £9m when the permanent deal was agreed a year later.
As last summer's transfer window approached it's end, Mikel Arteta had already recruited over £200m worth of talent to bolster his ranks, and still wanted more. The club were aware of FFP constraints, however, and needed incoming funds to finance further deals.
It appeared the 15 percent sell-on clause inserted in Guendouzi's Marseille contract may help his former club in that regard. However, the Frenchman only signed on loan when moving on to Italian outfit SS Lazio at the start of the current campaign, so Arsenal got £130,000 as a percentage of the loan fee.
But finally, North London chiefs will get their hands on the full amount of cash heading into 2024's summer transfer window as Lazio have now met the obligation to sign the 25-year-old on a permanent basis. Due to their 1-0 victory over Genoa on Friday night, it means they cannot finish any lower than 12th in Serie A - the exact clause being reported in Italy that triggers his permanent move.
His latest transfer is said to be valued at £11.2m, plus 4.3m in add-ons. Therefore in total, the Gunners will receive a minimum of £1.68m and a maximum of £2.32m from the deal, depending on the add-on conditions being met.
Earlier this year, Arsenal released their accounts for the 2022/23 financial year, stating losses of £52m. Premier League clubs are only allowed to lose £105m over three years, in line with the division's Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR).
It remains to be seen how the club will approach the upcoming transfer window with FFP looking over their shoulder, both in terms of recruitment and sales, but at least they now have this long-awaited windfall to consider when mapping out their strategy.