Arsenal transfer fee revealed by source after Axel Donczew passes medical
Arsenal are set to pay around £500,000 to complete the signing of Cardiff City midfielder Axel Donczew.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the Bluebirds will have been keen to avoid a payment through a tribunal.
The Gunners have agreed a deal to sign the 16-year-old, who has already passed his medical ahead of the move, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Wyness believes that Cardiff may have taken a fee of around £500,000 up front, with a structure put in place for them to potentially profit over time.
Donczew became the Welsh outfit's youngest-ever player when he made his debut in the Virtu Trophy as a 15-year-old last October.
He is now set to move and join the academy ranks at the Emirates Stadium, with official confirmation the only remaining element.
Axel Donczew deal 'best for both parties'
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Cardiff are more likely to have accepted a smaller fee for Donczew now, rather than a marginally bigger sum through a tribunal.
Tribunals take place to ensure clubs can get compensation packages when their top young talents leave, but they do not allow for traditional sell-on clauses to be implemented.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness explained why it is "best for all parties" if a tribunal was avoided in this case.
"There'll be echoes of Aaron Ramsey in this one for all the Cardiff and Arsenal fans and how that played out. I've been through this sort of dance a few times in terms of transfers, and there's two ways to look at it," he said.
"They (Cardiff) could go to tribunal, and Arsenal would be happy to pay the compensation because I don't think it would be much more than maybe £2million.
"However, what I think is going to happen in this case, and I think it may be best for both parties, is if they agree something like maybe a £500,000 fee right now, but give Cardiff some big add-on clauses down the road.
"So I think longer term it would be better for Cardiff to do that rather than taking the £1m or £2m right now, which is what I think they might get in a tribunal.
"I think for both parties it makes sense to try and create a structured deal with more add-ons based on appearances, milestones, et cetera, plus a percentage of a sell-on if he were to be sold from Arsenal at some stage.
"I think that's the way it's going to work. So actually the key number right now isn't going to be that much, and I don't think it's that important, it's all about the future potential, and that's where these sort of transactions are going right now."
Arsenal greenlight senior exits to fund Vinicius Junior move
Wyness previously told Football Insider last weekend that Arsenal are ready to sanction multiple senior exits if they can land Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior this summer.
The Brazilian star has emerged as a top target for the Gunners, who would need to pay a British record fee to land him, amid contract concerns in Madrid.
Wyness is adamant that a move for the 26-year-old would be a "stretch" for Arsenal financially, and would likely need to result in several departures.
The likes of Ben White and Gabriel Jesus have been extensively linked with moves away of late, while Christian Norgaard is already on the verge of joining Everton.