Sullivan keen to “dispel a myth”
He declares in tonight’s official programme notes: “I want to dispel a myth about our net spending on new players in recent years. There has been claims that our net spend has been next to nothing but that simply is not the case.
Since June 2016, we have spent club record transfer fees on Andre Ayew and Marko Arnautovic and also significant sums on other individuals including Chicharito.
We have recouped some of that money by selling more than 20 players, including Dimitri Payet. However, there has been some incorrect reporting on the amount of money we did or did not spend on some players, particularly those we brought in on Bosman transfers.
While no fee has changed hands for players aged 24 or older, significant agent and signing on fees and wages are needed to secure players who can literally choose their next move.
When you add in sell-on clauses and wrongly reported transfer fees our net spend has been higher than has been suggested by so-called experts. The club will be looking to strengthen again this summer with a view to enjoying a better 2018/19.”
He adds: “The recruitment staff are working diligently to identify the right sorts of players to improve a number of positions.”