In recent weeks, the Portuguese media has taken a particular interest in Burnley’s progress towards promotion to the Premier League—not because of any deep-rooted admiration for the Lancashire club, but due to the implications surrounding Marcus Edwards’ future and a financial twist involving Tottenham Hotspur.
Edwards, once a promising Spurs academy product, became a controversial figure at Sporting CP earlier this season. His relationship with the Lisbon-based club deteriorated after disciplinary issues, including being late to a team gathering, which ultimately led to his exclusion from the first-team squad. As a result, Sporting sought a swift exit strategy and opted to loan him out to Burnley in January.
The loan deal includes a €10 million obligation to buy, which becomes active if Burnley secures promotion to the Premier League. With Vincent Kompany’s side edging closer to clinching a return to England’s top flight, this clause is now looking increasingly likely to be triggered.
What’s significant—and initially overlooked by much of the Portuguese media—is that Tottenham stand to benefit financially from this move. Spurs retained a sell-on clause when they transferred Edwards to Vitória de Guimarães back in 2019. When he later moved from Guimarães to Sporting, Tottenham agreed to transfer their sell-on rights to the new deal to facilitate the move.
Then, during negotiations for right-back Pedro Porro’s move from Sporting to Spurs, Tottenham further adjusted their stake in Edwards’ future. As part of the Porro deal, Spurs reduced their sell-on percentage to 35%, but crucially retained a slice of any future sale.
Now, with Burnley on the brink of promotion, Portuguese outlet O Jogo has confirmed the financial structure surrounding the Edwards deal. Should Burnley complete their promotion campaign successfully, the €10 million purchase clause will automatically activate. Out of that sum, €3.5 million will be directed to Tottenham Hotspur.
While €3.5 million may seem modest in the context of modern football economics, it is considered pure profit for Spurs, as Edwards has not been part of the club since 2019. For Tottenham’s financial books, this windfall represents a tidy return on a player developed in their youth academy, especially considering he never made a lasting impact at the senior level in North London.
All eyes will now be on Burnley’s final push in the Championship. If they succeed in returning to the Premier League, Tottenham will quietly celebrate a small but welcome financial boost thanks to a long-forgotten clause in Marcus Edwards’ journey through European football.
DONE DEAL Imminent’ – Tottenham set to secure €3.5m Profit on outgoing deal
