Saints have agreed a last minute deal to sell Armel Bella-Kotchap permanently, a deal that will not only rake in somewhere around £5 million now plus add ons, but get his not insubstantial wages off the books.

The Daily Echo has reported that Saints have agreed a deal to move on Armel Bella-Kotchap in a permanent transfer.

The defender has been on a season long loan at Hellas Verona that had an option to buy at around £6.5 million, but the two clubs have have agreed a permanent move early for just under £5 million, a discount of £1.5 million off the price Hellas Verona would pay in the summer, but given the savings made for Saints including wages and loyalty bonus's in the summer, it will net them not much less than a sale in the summer.

Given he will enter the last year of his contract in July and the various loan fees that we have received and wages saved since his first and essentially only season with the club, to rake in around £5 million, does not represent a great financial loss to the club, at least not as much as you may think.

It is a good move cashing in early on the deal and getting our money now, rather than waiting till the summer, paying him a loyalty bonus and then see him either sold for a pittance or yet another loan.

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