Bailey off to Boro next week as long a she doesn't fail the medical!
Well, it looks certain that the Shrimpers will get at least one windfall as our former player-of-the-year and not our favourite ex-Shrimper Nicky Bailey has agreed terms with Middlesbrough.
The Charlton skipper's move to Teeside should be completed at the start of next week for a reported fee of £1.4million upon the completion of a medical.
Gordon Strachan's Boro are among the favourites to win promotion from the Championship, and Bailey may well be joined by another former Shrimper in striker Gary Hooper, leading to a nice little windfall finding it's way to south-east Essex.
Bailey spoke to www.skysports.com: "First of all I would like to thank the chairman Richard Murray, manager, staff and players for all the hard work and support they gave to me whilst at the club. The fans of Charlton made me very welcome from day one and I would also like to thank them for that."
I'm sure Addicks suppoerters appreciate that, especially when Bailey dives to get one of their players sent off if they meet Boro in one of the cup competitions next term!
Anyway, the ginger one couldn't stop there and as usual gave his 'dream move' speech; be afriad Boro fans, very afraid!
Bailey continued: "I am extremely excited about the challenge ahead of me at Middlesbrough, as I know it is a massive club with plenty of passionate fans with high expectations. Just like I have always done in my career I will give 100 per cent and hope that it is a valuable contribution to the team."
Oh dear!
As long as it's true that Blues chairman Ron Martin added a 20 per cent sell-on clause placed in his going away contract from United, and if Bailey doesn't fail the medical, and you never know they might monitor bullshit, then up to £200,000 could be finding it's way back to Roots Hall.
Accountants will be needed to work out how much Charlton will actually end up dishing out, as the payback is 20% of the Middlesbrough fee minus what the Addicks payed us, which is not as straight forward as it sounds.
We don't know what the final transfer fee will be between the two clubs involved in Bailey's transfer, and the initial fee paid to Southend was £400,000 but had the potential to rise to £750,000 with added clauses.
Hopefully, whatever ends up in the Shrimpers bank account may pay off a few bills that would see the lifting of the transfer embargo, then again it may just fall into an Uncle Ron 'black hole'!
More on the potential paybacks from ex-Shrimpers summer transfers:
www.southendunitedmad.co.uk/feat/edy4/
windfall_double_looks_on_as_boro_backed_to_beat_celtic_for_hooper_533303/index.shtml