Bradford City set to profit from seven-figure Liverpool transfer deal | OneFootball

The Bantams are could reap the rewards of previous deals.

Bradford City could make a "significant" amount of money this summer if former academy product Alvin Ayman leaves Wolverhampton Wanderers to join Liverpool.

The 16-year-old central defender, who can play in midfield, has been linked with Arne Slot's Reds this summer. The Express & Star previously reported that a number of the teams in the 'big six' were keen on Ayman, but it appears like Liverpool are the ones at the front of the queue to sign him.

He only left Valley Parade to join Wolves last year, but, with a reported £1.5 million move being lined up by the Anfield outfit, this could lead to a sizeable chunk of that fee landing at the feet of the Bantams.

The Telegraph & Argus have stated that the rumoured seven-figure fee that Liverpool may pay for Ayman could lead to a "significant" amount of money headed Bradford's way, because of the sell-on clause inserted into the deal that saw the defender go to Molineux in the first place.

They added that no bid has been received by Wanderers so far, but the Yorkshire-based club are monitoring the situation around the player, who joined City when he was nine.

Bradford are no strangers to benefitting from academy products that have gone on to do well in their careers. Oli McBurnie netted the club £2 million when he was bought by Sheffield United in 2019.

As well as Ayman, other former youth team talents like Victor Musa (Manchester United), Sahil Bashir (Brighton & Hove Albion) and Alfie Bradshaw (Nottingham Forest) could all send some money back to the Bantams in years to come because of the similar sell-on clauses that were included in the deals that saw them join their new respective Premier League clubs.

Alvin Ayman set to bring Bradford City significant profit as Wolves exit expected

If you want a glimpse at how highly the staff at Wolves think of the defender, he travelled with Gary O'Neill's squad to his team's penultimate away game of the season: the Etihad Arena against Manchester City.

Ayman didn't end up making the bench, but that is still a good representation of what they think of the 16-year-old.

He is known for his positional versatility. He can play in the centre of the pitch as well as at the back, and his natural ability to play on the left side of a central defensive pairing makes him even more of an attractive prospect for teams like Liverpool.

Interest in Alvin Ayman shows the healthy state of Bradford City academy

The youth teams systems of clubs in the Bantams' position can be vital.

If managed correctly, and with that bit of luck that means some extremely talented teens come through your ranks, it can end up helping the first team greatly, whether it be with them on the pitch, or through money made from them.

Bradford have been trying to get out of League Two for the past five seasons, but they just haven't quite had enough to get themselves over the top.

What could give them that extra bit of help is some unexpected gains from deals like the Ayman one.

The fact that they've got players coming through their ranks that these top clubs feel have the potential to one day play at the highest level is a great thing for Bradford on two fronts - the money that they will hope to receive from him being bought by Liverpool. and also that it is a sign that the work they're doing in the academy is working well.