Arsenal likely to miss out on £1m add-on clause | OneFootball

Arsenal look set to miss out on one of their bonus payments for the transfer of Aaron Ramsdale, with Southampton increasingly likely to be relegated.

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Southampton’s dreadful run of form continued on Saturday, as they were soundly beaten 4-0 at home by Brighton and Hove Albion. 26 games into the Premier League season, the Saints have lost 21 times, drawing three matches and winning just two.

To suggest that Southampton have a fight on their hands to escape the relegation zone would be a significant understatement. As it stands, the team face a huge battle just to overturn the eight-point gap to 19th.

That’s not good news for Arsenal, with at least one of Aaron Ramsdale’s bonus payments contingent on Southampton avoiding relegation.

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Arsenal sold Ramsdale to Southampton last summer, with the buying club investing an initial fee of £18m in the transfer. But the deal included up to £7m in add-ons, potentially bringing the full cost of the move to £25m.

Yet David Ornstein reported that £1m of those add-ons were part of a clause depending on Southampton’s Premier League survival, a feat that already looks beyond their reach.

Southampton would likely have to earn twice as many points in their next 12 games as they did in the previous 26 just to stand a chance of staying up.

The one silver lining for Arsenal is that Ramsdale’s deal also included a sell-on clause. If Southampton go down and the goalkeeper pushes for a transfer, the Gunners would at least make a little money from that move.

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If Ramsdale stays and tries to help Southampton return to the Premier League, he’d likely increase the chances of activating the other £6m of add-ons. At least any add-ons that aren’t based on top-flight survival.

Ramsdale has at least been a regular starter for Southampton, playing 20 times in all competitions despite joining a few games into the season and missing over a month of football with a couple of injuries.

So it’s not all bad news, but the one add-on clause we have any details for is unlikely to be met.