Nuno Tavares may no longer be a Gunner, but Arsenal still have a vested interest in his future. Lazio, who signed the defender permanently last week, appear keen to move him on already – and with a sell-on clause in place, the Gunners will be watching developments closely.
As for the size of that clause, there’s a bit of debate. The Evening Standard reckons it’s up to 25%, while Football Italia suggest it could be as high as 40%. Either way, if Lazio can find a buyer, Edu’s foresight may end up lining Arsenal’s pockets nicely.
It’s claimed the Italians have already turned down a €25 million bid (plus add-ons) from Al-Hilal, and have set their asking price closer to €40 million, in part because of the chunk they’ll lose to us. That feels a bit ambitious, but those nine early-season assists have clearly turned some heads, so who knows?
Arsenal have quietly done well from sell-on clauses in recent windows. Mika Biereth’s move from Sturm Graz to Monaco, Omari Hutchinson’s switch from Chelsea to Ipswich, and Mark McGuinness’ transfer from Cardiff to Luton have all reportedly earned seven-figure sums.
And there could be more to come. We read the other day that Matt Turner’s €8 million move from Forest to Lyon might also trigger a payment, though that’s yet to be confirmed.
If you can’t make decent money selling your own players, the least you can do is cash in when someone else shows you how it’s done.