Arithmetic issues at the Daily Record as they predict Celtic’s £3m windfall

Perhaps there is something in the water at the Daily Record but their readers must be left puzzled at claims that Celtic are in line for a cool £3m Moussa Dembele windfall. 

It is almost universally accepted that sell-on clauses refer to the profit on a transfer. When Southampton sold Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool for £76m there was a genuine windfall, two and a half years after his £14m move from Celtic. 

Whether Celtic picked up 10%, 15% of the profit remains unknown, it could have £9.3m or £6.2 or a figure in-between. 

Back in August 2018 it was widely reported that Celtic were paid £20m from Lyon for Mossa Dembele. Various windfall stories have been floated over the transfer windows since but the striker has remained with Lyon. 

With two weeks of the summer transfer window left, with Dembele a few months away from signing a pre-contract deal elsewhere Lyon will be looking to salvage anything that they can from a transfer. A Celtic windfall look very far fetched.

Bringing in £10-15m at this stage would be decent business- anything around or over £20m would be great business but whatever happens it is highly unlikely that Celtic will see more than a few hundred thousands pounds.  

However, crunching his calculator, Michael Gannon of the Daily Record explains: 

The 26-year-old knocked back an approach from Everton earlier in the summer, and former club Fulham are also in the frame. But the hitman has been on Manchester United ’s long-term scouting list since his days at Parkhead. Celtic flogged the former France under 21 star to Lyon in August 2018 for almost £20m – and they have a 15 percent sell-on clause. 

Lyon have warned contract rebels they will cash in rather than wait until they can depart for free. And Dembele’s representatives have put several sides on red alert . United are set to shoot to the top of the queue with under pressure Old Trafford boss Erik Ten Hag desperate for attacking reinforcements on the back of a nightmare summer regarding recruitment. 

The Red Devils have struggled in the market and kicked off their season in disastrous fashion with defeats to Brighton and Brentford. Ten Hag will be allowed to strengthen in the next two weeks and a move for Dembele wouldn’t take eye watering dosh. Lyon will want to maximise their investment and are convinced they can bank more than the £20m outlaid four years ago – which would net Celts a cool £3m. 

Assuming that the sell-on is based on the profit from the 2018 fee it would take a £50m fee for Celtic to pick up £3m on a 10% sell on clause. If the sell on clause is 15% it would ‘only’ require a £40m fee for Celtic to pick up the £3m reported in the Daily Record. 

CLICK HERE for Dembele profile on Transfermarkt.

CLICK HERE for van Dijk profile on Transfermarkt.