Sporting CP has picked Colombian Luis Suarez as Viktor Gyokeres‘ replacement, meaning Watford FC stands to gain a substantial profit from the possible sale.
Suarez and Watford have been connected since the striker moved from Leones to the Hornets in 2017.
He spent all of his time at Vicarage Road on loan stints in Spain, though, and never played competitively for the team.
Prior to a brief stay at French team Marseille, he scored 15 goals in 75 appearances before Granada exercised their option to buy him permanently in 2020 for £10 million.
Suarez then relocated to Almeria, where he scored an incredible 27 goals to finish as La Liga 2’s top scorer in the 2024–25 campaign.
The sale of Arsenal and Gyokeres opens up a €7.5 million chance for Watford FC.
Sporting CP and Arsenal are presently in advanced talks to sign former Coventry City player Viktor Gyokeres, with the North London team apparently willing to make an offer of about €70 million.
Additionally, Sporting has identified Luis Suarez as their top target to replace the Swede, according to A Bola, so the Hornets may profit from the cascading effects of Arsenal’s pursuit of Gyokeres.
Sporting is reportedly the only team that has openly indicated interest in signing Suarez at this point, despite the fact that his stellar goal-scoring record has drawn interest from a number of European teams, including Liverpool.
According to The Athletic in 2022, Almeria is apparently looking for a sum of about €25 million (£21.5 million) for Suarez, which would activate Watford’s sell-on clause at about 30% from the Colombian’s prior movements.
If Sporting matches Almeria’s asking price, Watford might get up to €7.5 million (£6.5 million) from the sale, which would significantly increase their own cash this summer.
Watford’s promotion campaign would be greatly aided by Luis Suarez’s sell-on clause.
Gino Pozzo, the owner of Watford, made the biggest offer for digital equity shares in English football history in June. He offered shares worth about £12, or 10% of the club.
Since share sales are often viewed as a last choice for those in debt, Pozzo’s decision to do so was surprising given the Hertfordshire-based club’s £24.1 million 2023 profit. However, those accounts were completed two years ago, and the Hornets are no longer receiving parachute payments.
Even though Suarez has never played for Watford’s first team, the team may be able to make somewhat more than the £6 million they received for selling Will Hughes to Crystal Palace thanks to their astute use of sell-on clauses in their transfer negotiations.
Sporting first thought Almeria’s asking price was excessive, but if they decide to accept it, the money they may get from Gyokeres’ transfer to Arsenal would undoubtedly cover their value.
All sides may find that the timing of these “domino-effect” deals is crucial. Sporting will want to find a replacement as soon as possible, while Arsenal is keen to finalise the Gyokeres deal before preseason training starts.
This story also demonstrates how teams like Watford may benefit financially from the utilisation of sell-on clauses. They are obviously used for this very case, but many people forget the finer points as the years pass.
Read more at;https://www.sportupdates.co.uk
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