To put it bluntly: clubs want their money and they structure deals to get as much as possible. You’re right to be suspicious about how a package with loan fees and add-ons actually benefits us. There are ways to make a £20m asking price workable, but nothing’s automatic — it all depends on how the clauses are written and how clever the negotiating team is.

Loan fees versus purchase price — what usually happens

Loan fees can be separate from transfer fees, or they can be part of a wider, agreed package. Sometimes a club will demand loan fees as pure compensation for the period they’re losing a player, and then still insist on the full transfer fee later on. Other times the loan fee is effectively an advance against the purchase price, so it reduces the final fee. Which way it goes is a contractual choice and down to negotiation.

How a 50% sell-on could make sense

Your idea of a £10m fee with 50% sell-on of the total fee (not just profit) is a tidy compromise on paper. If both sides agree that any future sale is split that way, it protects the selling club’s upside while giving us a lower initial outlay. It’s fair, and it’s the kind of clever structure that makes these deals happen without either side feeling short-changed.

Practical takeaways for fans

We shouldn’t assume loan fees automatically come off the final price. It may be true, or the clubs might treat them separately. The only way to know for sure is to see the wording of an agreement or get confirmation from the club. For now, think in terms of scenarios: either we pay loan fees plus a full transfer fee, or we negotiate those loans to count towards the purchase. The latter is what makes sense if the aim is to reduce risk and protect our finances.

At the end of the day, it’s down to Thelwell and the board to get the deal structure right. Fingers crossed they do the deal that gives us the best chance of value.

Written by Stevie_G_new: 28 April 2026

Tags: transfers tactics