Barcelona-based publication, Sport, has claimed that Arsenal will receive around €4 million from the Catalan club because of an agreed clause in the transfer of defender Thomas Vermaelen last summer.
Vermaelen, who has yet to make an appearance in a Barca kit this season due to a hamstring tear, was sold to the Spanish giants for £15 million in August of 2014. Despite the fact that Vermaelen has not featured for the Champions League finalists, the €4 million clause is said to still be on.
Arsenal expect to profit
If the report is in fact true, Arsenal brass should be heavily praised for the smart stipulation. Barcelona has lifted the Champions League trophy three out of the last nine years, and are favorites to claim their fifth European title since 1992 next month against Juventus.
The former Arsenal captain made over 100 appearances for the Gunners during his five year stay in north London. While most Gooners will remember Vermaelen fondly, the Belgium international endured numerous injury issues throughout his five seasons in an Arsenal kit. Vermaelen missed a total of 56 Premier League matches due to injury during his time as a Gunner.
Vermaelen was included in the Barcelona squad (but did not get on the field) which went through against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final, and could soon make his first appearance of the campaign with two more domestic league matches remaining on the schedule. Luis Suarez, who’s injured and may not play this weekend, will expect to be fit for the showdown in Berlin where he will face Chiellini and Evra, an inevitable subplot in an already engrossing buildup to the final.
Arsenal fans around the world will most likely be rooting for the Spanish club to be victorious in the Champions League final on June 6th in Berlin.
