Arsenal are glad to be rid of Santos – but for free?
Arsenal fans can be happy with hearing that Andre Santos has now officially become the latest name on the long list of ‘deadwood’ players to leave this summer. Santos has agreed to play for Brazilian side Flamengo for the upcoming season, after agreeing a 2 year deal with the club.
Andre Santos had been a player that was used sparingly at Arsenal in his last year with the club and was realistically never in with a real chance of ever making it back as a full time regular starter with Arsenal and the way things were going for the player, despite his wish to remain in European football, I’m sure he will just be as happy to see the back of Arsenal, as the fans are as happy to see the back of Andre Santos number 11.
The deal is reported to be a free transfer, which I personally find a bit strange but also completely understandable at the same time. It’s strange in the sense that it’s unlikely Arsenal to pay big money for a player just to let them leave for basically nothing – and bearing in mind that Arsenal only signed Santos back on deadline day August 2011 for a speculated £7 million, to let him go less than two years down the line on a free transfer seems strange.
However I completely understand Arsenal’s decision. It’s unlikely the Brazilian side were willing to pay anywhere near the excess of £7 million for the player and for the way he has performed even £2 million would maybe be an overstatement, but I think the main reason was probably down to wages, and Flamengo probably contacted Arsenal saying that they could take Santos off our hands, but wouldn’t be able to pay for a transfer fee because his contract package is big enough as it is.
Lastly we must remember that Santos wasn’t always a bad player. Dubbed as a panic buy, he actually did impress at times during his first season, but his laziness as well as controversy soon got in the way and before you know it he was down the pecking order and his Arsenal career was over. Good luck to Santos in the future but I’m sure Arsenal fans will be most pleased to know that that’s another player struck off the ‘to go’ list.
yep the 37th player to leave the club permanently in the last 14 months!
btw
santos has bought out his contract and likewise denilson. its a new trend in football contracts, to get round FFP. The player owns 50% of himself, so if he is sold he gets 50% of the transfer
I dont think either bought out their contract it was simply cancelled by mutal consent Arsenal get nothing except save on future wages.Every transfer is a risk this guy was a joke of a LB and even though we were stuipd enough to pay the 6m for him no one will pay 1m you just ahve to cut your losses Santos was on 50K a week had two years remaining thats 5.5m down the pan in wages for a player who cant contribute so get rid
And to think we could have had Cahill for 7 million.