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French striker Loic Remy has been previously linked to both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal as a possible transfer target. The QPR man spent the last season on loan at Newcastle, but even though his club will be back in the Premier League next season, Remy's reported release clause makes him a candidate for many open positions.
Today, Matt Law at the Telegraph reports that Remy's release clause is structured so that he'd cost more if a club outside the top four makes the offer.
It was initially thought that all clubs could sign Remy for £8 million, but it has now emerged that clause is only for ‘top four clubs’.
There is understood to be a second clause for clubs that finished fifth and sixth that allows them to buy Remy for around £11m.
Remy would cost £11m for Spurs or Everton, £8m for any of the top four clubs. If Manchester United came knocking with an offer, QPR could tell them to sit on it because they finished seventh. I would be surprised if QPR sold Remy for less than his release clause, as it does not seem that wages are a particular concern of the club. £11m seems like a fair enough price for a good 27-year-old striker, if that's the best you can do.
Remy had a solid season for Newcastle, with 14 non-penalty goals and 3 assists in over 2000 minutes. His underlying stats were solid, too, with about 0.55 expected goals and assists per 90, compared to 0.70 actual goals and assists per 90. Those are not world-beating numbers, but they're better by xG + xA than either Roberto Soldado or Emmanuel Adebayor last year. Ade of course scored more goals per 90 than Remy, but past performance suggests his deadeye shooting was just a well-timed hot streak. Still, it's not like Remy offers some major upgrade to what Tottenham already have.
He does bring some added flexibility, as he can play on the wing as well as the top of the formation. Signing Remy would be fine, I guess, especially if Spurs choose to sell either Soldado or Adebayor. "Fine, I guess" was also Kevin's take last time this came up, so there's your writers room groupthink.