MX23RW : Tuesday, January 21 09:51:45| >> :120:4180:4180:

Arsenal transfer news: Gunners 'bank £2m windfall' from academy graduate move

A little extra: Arsenal 'set for £2m windfall' from academy graduate transfer
© Imago
Arsenal reportedly stand to receive around £2m from the transfer of former academy graduate Mark McGuinness to Luton Town from Cardiff City.

Arsenal reportedly stand to receive around £2m from the transfer of former academy graduate Mark McGuinness from Cardiff City to Luton Town.

The 23-year-old spent a decade in the Gunners' academy ranks from 2011 to 2021, but he never made a competitive first-team appearance for Arsenal, nor did he make it into a single senior matchday squad.

Following a productive loan spell with Ipswich Town in the 2020-21 season, McGuinness left Arsenal permanently for Cardiff, who paid exactly £2m to prise him away from North London.

McGuinness became a stalwart of the Bluebirds' defence, in addition to spending the first half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, and he scored in his first appearance of the 2024-25 season against Bristol Rovers in the EFL Cup.

That would prove to be the 23-year-old's last act in the Cardiff shirt, as he has now been unveiled as a new Luton player after the Hatters agreed a £10m fee with their Championship counterparts.

According to the Evening Standard, Arsenal agreed a sell-on clause with Cardiff when they sold McGuinness in 2021, which entitled them to 30% of any profit that the Bluebirds made on a future sale.

As a result, Arsenal's coffers will be boosted by around £2m through the centre-back's move to Luton, where he will link up with Reuell Walters, another Hale End academy graduate who left the Gunners this summer.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pictured on April 23, 2024© Reuters

That windfall follows a reported £4m that Arsenal made from Omari Hutchinson's transfer from Chelsea to Ipswich Town earlier this summer, and they will also be entitled to a cut of any future move for Danish striker Mika Biereth, who joined Sturm Graz for £4m several weeks ago.

"I'm excited to be here. It's been nice to see the boys today and get a feel of the camp," McGuinness told LTFC+. "Cardiff was a great platform for me to go and develop, and get to that next stage and that next level – and for me, Luton Town was the perfect next stage."

How much money have Arsenal made this summer?

Including Hutchinson and McGuinness's windfalls, Arsenal have now banked around £38.7m this summer, where Emile Smith Rowe - a £27m move to Fulham - has been their only big-money departure so far.

Biereth (£4m) is one of two Under-21s players to seek pastures new, as right-back Brooke Norton-Cuffy has left for Serie A side Genoa in a deal worth an initial £1.7m, although it could reach £3.5m with add-ons.

Eddie Nketiah is also believed to be close to joining Nottingham Forest in a £30m deal, while Reiss Nelson, Aaron Ramsdale, Kieran Tierney and Jakub Kiwior have good chances to depart before the window closes.

Arsenal have traditionally struggled to sell players for their market value, but should Nketiah and the aforementioned quartet also head for the exit door, they could easily make over £100m through player sales this summer.

Mohamed Elneny, Cedric Soares and Arthur Okonkwo leaving on free transfers have also trimmed Arsenal's wage bill, as have the loan exits of Nuno Tavares (Lazio), Karl Hein (Real Valladolid) and Albert Sambi Lokonga (Sevilla).

ID:550868:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect6911:
Written by
Ben Knapton

Click here for more stories about Mark McGuinness

Click here for more stories about Arsenal

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pictured on April 3, 2024
Read Next:
Arsenal teenager confirms exit from club after contract snub
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool21155150203050
2Arsenal22128243212244
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest22135433221144
4Chelsea22117444271740
5Manchester CityMan City22115644291538
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle22115638261238
7Bournemouth22107536261037
8Aston Villa2210663334-136
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2281043530534
10Fulham228953430433
11Brentford2284104039128
12Crystal Palace226972528-327
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd2275102732-526
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham2275102743-1626
15Tottenham HotspurSpurs22731245351024
16Everton214891828-1020
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2244143251-1916
18Ipswich TownIpswich2237122043-2316
19Leicester CityLeicester2235142348-2514
20Southampton2213181550-356


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!