Tom Fellows sale is doing more good for West Brom than you think – it’s not just PSR
West Bromwich Albion fans are not happy about Tom Fellows’ departure.
Fellows has departed West Brom for Southampton in a £10million deal, with very little time to replace him with less than 26 hours left of the window.
West Brom fans are angry at the fee received for Fellows, given that he was the Championship’s top assister with 14 last season, level with Portsmouth’s Josh Murphy.
Although Baggies fans are right to be annoyed at Shilen Patel, especially when Torbjorn Heggem left for Bologna for a similar price, the deal does a lot of good financially for the club.
Tom Fellows sale could help repay MSD loan
In December 2022, West Brom took out a £20m loan with MSD UK Holdings Limited, due to a lack of investment from former majority shareholder Guochuan Lai.
The Baggies took out an additional £8m loan in November 2023 to continue helping cover the club’s running costs, whilst interest builds on top of that loan.
The initial end date for repayments is set at December 2026, but the loan can be repaid earlier to avoid paying more in interest, thus saving money.
£10m from the Fellows deal is almost pointless in terms of transfers due to the lack of time to source a replacement.
However, the fee can be used to repay the loan, as well as alleviate any future PSR issues, with Chris Lepkowksi sharing his insight.
West Brom have done well recouping funds
West Brom have been involved in a major rebuild following a poor season, as they missed out on the play-offs after Carlos Corberan’s departure to Valencia.
To finance these moves, departures were necessary, and although many of the players they’ve lost have been acquired on free transfers, the fees they’ve received for those they’ve sold have been shrewd.
Fees West Brom have received this summer:
- Torbjorn Heggem – £10m
- Darnell Furlong – £4m
- Caleb Taylor – £2.5m
- Tom Fellows – £10m
- Total: £26.5m
If the Baggies can eliminate the loan hanging over their heads, their financial freedom could be the key to finally returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2021.
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