Information on the Jaden Philogene buy-back clause for Hull City and Aston Villa
The signing of the highly regarded Villa winger undoubtedly attracted fans’ attention.
Jaden Philogene, the star winger for Aston Villa, was ultimately acquired by Hull City in the last hours of the summer transfer window for a fee that is estimated to be in the neighborhood of £5 million.
Hull Live is now able to publish the specifics of the buy-back clause that the Premier League club requested be placed into the agreement in the event that they decide to bring their 21-year-old academy graduate back to Villa Park in the future.
In an interview with Hull Live, City vice-chairman Tan Kesler stated that if the Tigers are promoted to the Premier League, Villa will have the first option to purchase Philogene for a fixed price of £15 million. However, the clause will only apply when the two teams are in the same tier.
Before owner Acun Ilicali shocked Liam Rosenior with the news that the club was keen on buying him, City had initially chased Philogene with a view to a loan move to the MKM Stadium. However, they did just that, anchoring him down to a three-year contract with the option of a fourth.
Similar clauses were placed by Villa into other contracts this summer when Aaron Ramsey and Cameron Archer were sold to Burnley and Sheffield United, respectively. These players had already agreed to their salaries should they return to the second city.
As top-flight clubs attempt to trade out their top young talent to meet financial fair play criteria, Kesler predicts that such agreements will become more common. The way the deal was structured, however, actually aided the Tigers in closing the sale and fending off strong interest from their competitors.
He tells Hull Live that “it’s pretty simple.” “The buy-back clause could be read both positively and adversely. If the athlete is yours and you don’t feel you have the right to control it throughout the contract, you may still consider getting that kind of talented player by creating a win-win situation and sharing certain rights in order to complete the task and beat the competition.
“What we did in my opinion and for our fans to (understand) our decisions for the future, we’re not just buying players and then their previous clubs can buy them back from us, it’s a mechanism where we create a win-win situation.”
The Tigers’ vice-chairman says having the £15m valuation on Philogene now gives City a base to work from should they receive interest in the pacey winger in the future.
“There is a value that has been put on an identified performance, which is good. Maybe he can never reach there or he can bypass there, but at least for the market, for the industry, we know what he can be worth to leave our club,” he explained. “If someone comes in and offers less than his buy-back value, do we consider it? Should we consider it? Probably not. It’s a good thing. And having another big club on your side and being able to have some part in Jaden’s development plan is good.
“Villa have the right to buy him back for £15 million if we get promoted (to the Premier League). Having said that, it’s not like we’re compelled to sell to Villa, but they would have the first choice and that’s part of our deal. If we receive another offer worth more than £15 million, we would have the right to discuss it.
“That’s how Keinan Davis was going to arrive, and in the future, you might see more players coming in — from Roma, more from Villa, we’re forming more relationships — like this to assist us reach to promotion level.
“From that point on, it’s all about the process and the club. Individuals participating in the club’s activities, not individuals themselves, are what matter.
