well i think we are getting into the weeds here. i dont even understand the rule that people were referencing about the wage cap. but a player's wages and the transfer fee are counted separately on our books. they all go toward a bottom line, but they are separate items.
the wage bill is paid weekly and most players have a static salary outside of specific bonuses.
when we buy a player, for accounting purposes, their transfer fee gets broken down over the length of the player's contract for tax purposes. so if we pay £20m for a player and he signs a 4 year deal, we can count £5m per year for 4 years. in terms of profit/loss, i think the amount we actually pay and receive in a calendar year is what goes toward that. so, if we paid £45m for lacazette and we paid the whole thing up front, then we'd count -£45m for 2017. if we pay it in 2 yearly installments, we'd count half of that in 2017 and half in 2018.
but who the hell knows. anyway, our wage bill shouldnt preclude us from adding 3-4 world class players given everything else that is happening at the club.
