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Procurement and supply
Arsenal bought Leandro Trossard from Brighton in January 2023 for an initial ยฃ20 million, with add-ons taking the headline figure to ยฃ27 million. He signed a four and a half year deal running to the summer of 2027.
Three and a half years later, Besiktas have agreed โฌ20 million, roughly ยฃ17 million, to take him off Arsenal's hands with one year left on that contract.
Let's talk about what this actually means for lay men and for a club financially, because the number looks underwhelming until you understand how football accounting works.
When a club signs a player, the transfer fee is not recorded as an immediate expense. It is spread evenly across the length of the contract, a process called amortization. I have written about this before.
Arsenal paid ยฃ20 million guaranteed and spread that over 4.5 years. By July 2026, approximately 3.5 years have elapsed, meaning roughly 78% of that cost has already been written off the books. The remaining book value sitting on Arsenal's balance sheet is somewhere around ยฃ4.4 to ยฃ6 million depending on which fee figure you use.
So when Besiktas pay ยฃ17 million for a player whose book value is roughly ยฃ5 million, Arsenal are booking a profit of somewhere between ยฃ11 and ยฃ12 million on a player entering the final year of his deal.
That is actually quite smart business. A 32 year old with one year left on his contract and a player who, whatever his contributions, was never going to be a first team starter.
Getting ยฃ17 million for him rather than watching him walk away for nothing next summer is exactly the kind of decision that keeps clubs on the right side of PSR.
I think Arsenal have done well. What do you think?
My name is Ajoje. I am a FIFA Licensed Agent and International Sports Lawyer. I write on the Law and Business of Football, a lot. Repost and Follow if you want to read more posts like this.