Whether Bristol City make any money from Aden Flint's impending move from Middlesbrough to Cardiff City will depend on the breakdown of the deal agreed with the Bluebirds.
The central defender is in Cardiff currently and about to sign with Neil Warnock's side and our understanding is that the Robins won't, unfortunately, benefit from the switch.
While CEO Mark Ashton is well customed to adding the relevant clauses to see the Robins benefit from future sell-on values, the reported fee to take Flint from the north east to Wales falls under what Middlesbrough paid for the defender last season.
We understand that the deal to take Flint to the Riverside in total was worth around £7m when it was agreed last summer.
The breakdown was:
- £5m fee guaranteed
- The total fee could raise to £7m due to add-ons
- Those add-ons include if Boro achieve promotion
- Swindon Town had a sell-on value of 15-20% of the profits
But according to our sister website Gazette Live the deal agreed to now take the giant 29-year-old over to the Welsh capital is less than this:
- £4m guaranteed up front fee
- Clauses up to potential £6m
Bristol City, and all football clubs in general, agree sell-on clauses based on some 10-20 per cent of the profit on a sale. (So only taking a cut from anything paid over what the player was bought for.)
As Cardiff are paying less than Middlesbrough did, City therefore don't stand to receive anything.
If the Bluebirds paid £6m up front then City would have got £200,000-400,000.
So after seeing one of the Robin's most cherished players joining a rival, now it seems that Bristol City do not seem to benefit financially, adding to the original insult.
