Whitey Grandad

Well we're getting into very complicated issues here and maybe multi-national company payments but the UK does have a double taxation agreement with Switzerland of some sort.

Sounds about right to me. I think this will be the first season for years where we finish lower than the previous.

'And we've still got Schelotto on the bench'

The tax is paid on profits anyway. Then the remaining surplus can be distributed in dividends to shareholders who are themselves subject to any further income tax in the UK, with an allowance credit for the Corporation Tax already taken at 21%. Loans can be repaid at any time.

Both will be good.

Yes, sorry if I upset you but I was really referring to a wider readership. When I asked 'Does it matter' I was referring to and earlier post by someone else. I read everything you write, wouldn't miss it

Don't believe all the headline figures in the media. Remember that what you see if the total potential value of the deal. How much of that do we actually get for Lallana? Possibly a clear £12m after Bourmemouth get their cut. The full figure includes all sorts of hypothetical add-ons which are certainly not paid up front. Chambers, fee 'undisclosed', believed to be in the region of... £16m Lambert, 'about £4m' but reportedly £0.5m to Bristol Rovers Lovren 'reports putting the figure at £20m' and we still have to pay for him. Shaw, 'believed to have cost in excess of £30m' with figures varying from £27m to £33m. Nobody knows how much of this is dependent on future conditions. It is rare for a transfer fee to be paid all in one go and for various accountancy reasons both clubs usually prefer to spread the payments over several years. Somebody has to pay the agent's fees which are typically 10% and paid by the buying club. International deals are something else: 'Fifa statistics show 28% of transfer fees go to agents and third parties' http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/jan/08/fifa-transfers-agents-third-parties

NO Where do you get that figure from?

If you think that PR is important then yes, maybe it matters, but as to the strict details about whether a new signing is made by Monday, Tuesday, or whatever then I for one am not going to get hot and bothered over it.

These deals are rarely paid all up front, we still have to pay for the players we bought previously, there are other payments involved (to Bournemouth, for example), agents' fees, potential tax liabilities. Most of it is a big paperwork exercise.

Yeah, whatever.

Does it matter?

There are technical accountancy reasons why loans might be preferred. Anyway, Lovren was only here for a year.

Don't take too much, more than a handful's wasted.

I'd willingly buy you a half pint or so. I don't drink myself (well, not much anyway) on account of my health. Apart from the desire to sell season tickets there's no need to worry about those who might question and laugh, and not everybody is doing so. 'Never apologise, never explain'

Hi Redslo, welcome to the forum and thanks for your info. Whitey Grandad is what some of my grandchildren call me to distinguish me from their other grandad on account of my extensive white hair, a consequence of a lifetime of trouble and strife. Some posters understandably use the abbreviation WG. Why, thank you sir!

Because they don't have to? They have more things to worry about that appeasing a handful of wet fannies on an Internet forum.

It may have been, but if it was then it means that the club has big ambitions and wants to pay players more.

We don't have £92m in the bank.

There'd only be complaints about how long it took to drive him there.

Perhaps they didn't have the players to offload at massive mark-ups?

I think that sort of investment gives you some sort of credit against the limits, or something.

Osvaldo hasn't gone yet and if it falls through we would be stuck with him for a while. As for penalties I think it's fair to say that nobody knows yet. There are nine possibilities: http://www.financialfairplay.co.uk/resources/9%20sanctions.jpg.opt880x498o0%2C0s880x498.jpg

Rule A.5.2 'Fair Market Value'? Presumably that's to stop clubs inflating transfer fees somehow?

One way or another we couldn't afford him. FFP may have been the reason he wouldn't stay.