Carlisle United’s chief executive has set out how the Blues could benefit from high-profile transfers involving three Cumbrian stars this summer.
Dean Henderson, Jarrad Branthwaite and James Trafford have all been the subject of speculation.
The Blues stand to benefit from sell-on clauses with all three.
But chief executive Nigel Clibbens has played down the prospect of “transformational” revenue coming United’s way in at least two of the cases.
Manchester United keeper Henderson has been linked with a move to Nottingham Forest, Everton defender Branthwaite is attracting interest from a string of clubs including West Ham United, while Manchester City keeper Trafford is being monitored by Sheffield United and Burnley among others.
All three were Carlisle academy players.
Asked about the situation at this week’s fans’ forum, Clibbens said: “Each one is different. The legal agreements prevent me from saying what the percentages are, but yes we have percentages.
“Branthwaite was done as a normal transfer, negotiated, and we’ve had cash up front and we’re due for a profit share. We’d earn something there.
“On James Trafford, he went around the time of EPPP [the Elite Player Performance Plan], so the deal was determined around that – there are specific rules and percentages on what you get. So we get a small percentage from him.
“Dean Henderson – that was done before EPPP, and that was done in anticipation of what EPPP would look like, so there’s a small percentage there.
“Other than probably Jarrad, the cash we could earn from the two goalkeeper deals is not going to be transformational for this club.
“Even at big, double-digit millions, it’s not going to help us too much. It would be welcome, and would help with transfer budgets and things like that, but isn’t going to give us a mountain of cash to do everything we’ve talked about.
“It might help us go some way to solve some problems but isn’t going to solve them on their own.”
Clibbens also pointed out that a windfall on a Henderson deal may not be as much – or as instant – as some may anticipate.
“The amount we earn is based on profit we get on the deals. Since Henderson has been playing at Man Utd, we’ve been earning cash when he plays. So for us to get any money it would have to be profit on the deal to Man Utd, and then our share has to be more than what we’ve already had, so that reduces it even more,” the director said.
“You get paid your money when the seller gets paid their money. Say a player is transferred for £20m and it’s paid over four years, you get your instalments over four years.
“So anything we get on that kind of deal might be quite small and a long time in the future.
“Yes it’s welcome, but nobody is sat here dreaming about sell-ons of Dean Henderson and James Trafford at the moment.”
Trafford and Branthwaite are with the England Under-21 squad as they prepare for tomorrow's European Championships quarter-final against Portugal.
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