Aaron Ramsdale is set to join Newcastle United, but Arsenal are unlikely to make any money from their sell-on clause in the player’s contract just yet.
David Ornstein reported for The Athletic on Tuesday that Newcastle United have reached an agreement with Southampton for the transfer of former Gunner Aaron Ramsdale, with the goalkeeper moving on an initial loan with an option to buy.
Ramsdale has received permission to travel for a medical and finalise his move, and it looks as though he’ll be playing his football for Eddie Howe’s side this season.
Ornstein adds that the loan includes a sizeable fee as well as the option to buy, but whether Arsenal will see any of that money remains unclear.
Kaya Kaynak had reported for Football.London last summer that Ramsdale’s deal to leave Arsenal included a sell-on clause. Should the England international have made a permanent transfer this summer, the Gunners certainly would have profited.
But a loan with an option is more complicated. In previous cases where the sell-on clause didn’t make it explicitly clear that a loan fee should be included, the outcome was that the club holding the sell-on clause only received money if and when the option to buy was activated.
Without knowing the specific wording of Ramsdale’s clause, it’s hard to say whether Arsenal covered for a loan fee. If not, the Gunners will only get paid if Newcastle choose to activate their option to buy next summer.
Even if Arsenal did specifically word their contract with Southampton to cover for a loan fee, they’ll only receive a portion of that loan fee this summer, which is less than they would have if he’d made a permanent transfer.
It’s not the ideal outcome for the Gunners financially, and it looks like they’ll have to rely on their own sales to generate funds in the current window.