A Premier League participant shopping for a prime tier membership in one other main European league?

That’s the world we at the moment are residing in.

Over in France it’s reported (see beneath) that having beforehand thought of shopping for Saint-Etienne or Le Havre, Trent Alexander-Arnold has now selected FC Nantes because the Ligue 1 membership he needs to purchase.

FC Nantes are at present fifth in Ligue 1, forward of this weekend’s fixtures.

How can this be carried out it’s possible you’ll ask, how can a 25 yr previous Premier League participant afford to purchase a prime tier membership in France?

Properly, the times of English prime tier gamers needing to get a job driving a taxi or operating a pub, simply to place meals on the desk after they retire, could be very a lot prior to now.

That’s on an entire different degree now with many main gamers, we have already got former soccer stars opening stakes in golf equipment, and even proudly owning a complete membership.

It additionally appears like Trent Alexander-Arnold is a really switched on particular person on the subject of cash and enterprise, intending not simply to stay on the fortunes he earns enjoying for Liverpool.

The French media say that their info is that it could be a ‘straight €80m (approx £67m)’ plus different future add-ons.

Clearly, £67m remains to be no small sum.

Nonetheless, once you have a look at what occurred with Kylian Mbappe, you can begin to understand how simply it might be carried out. Mbappe ran his contract down at PSG and so Actual Madrid obtained arguably the most effective participant on this planet for nothing. In fact, in actuality, the overwhelming majority of the switch charge that the Spanish membership would have needed to pay, they as an alternative have to present to Mbappe to be able to persuade him to signal.

Trent Alexander-Arnold might be valued at one thing like £80m I might guess, possibly even £100m.

Nonetheless, he has refused all makes an attempt by Liverpool to signal a brand new contract and as issues stand he can transfer for nothing on the finish of June 2025, he may comply with signal for say… Actual Madrid(!!!) in January 2025, with that ‘free’ switch accomplished subsequent summer time.

All/a lot of the £80m-£100m switch charge that Actual Madrid don’t have to pay, probably/in all probability ending up within the pocket of the participant as an alternative.

Remarkably, you may see precisely how such a 25 yr previous present Premier League participant may properly afford to purchase a prime degree membership in France.

One query springs to thoughts if this does occur with Trent Alexander-Arnold, or certainly different present gamers shopping for different golf equipment.

Everyone knows that there’s a problem if somebody owns a significant stake in multiple membership and two of their golf equipment are then drawn to fulfill in European competitors. So what would occur if say sooner or later Trent Alexander-Arnold was enjoying for Actual Madrid they usually met FC Nantes after the participant had purchased the French membership outright???

Fashionable soccer…

GFFN report – 20 September 2024:

‘Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold (25) intends to take over Ligue 1 aspect FC Nantes, in accordance with a report this Friday from L’Equipe. The outlet understands that the England worldwide’s father, Michael Arnold, who acts because the supervisor of his sons’ pursuits via a London-based funding agency has a eager curiosity within the French sports activities market. It will not be the primary time contemplating Alexander-Arnold is already a minority shareholder of the French Formulation 1 group, Alpine F1 Staff, via Otro Capital.

L’Equipe understands that Arnold was eager about buying AS Saint-Etienne and Le Havre earlier than setting his sights on FC Nantes. The 8-time French champions are owned by French businessman Waldemar Kita, an ever-unpopular determine among the many Canaris fanbase. Kita owns FC Nantes since 2007 and has reportedly grew uninterested in the sporting and monetary struggles encountered by the Loire-Atlantique aspect. Kita’s failure to construct a brand new privately owned stadium and the TV rights deal debacle solely confirmed his intention to, no less than, entertain the membership’s sale.

Kita reportedly met the Arnolds by way of videoconference final summer time earlier than assembly them in particular person, in Geneva, these previous few days. The takeover bid reportedly quantities to €100m, together with a straight €80m plus a vendor credit score of €20m accompanied by varied bonuses of as much as €40m. A 3rd assembly reportedly occurred this Thursday in London between the events.’