Championship side Fulham have taken on 50% of midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's wages during his season-long loan spell at Serie A side Napoli, according to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness).
The wantaway Cameroonian submitted a transfer request to officials at Craven Cottage before their opening league match against Middlesbrough last month, all but confirming he wouldn't be in west London by the time the summer transfer window shut.
Premier League sides Arsenal and Aston Villa were two of the sides previously said to be interested in acquiring the 25-year-old's services, but it was Napoli who managed to seal a loan deal with an option to buy at the end of his temporary spell next summer.
With former Watford man Nathaniel Chalobah coming from Vicarage Road permanently as his replacement and the likes of Josh Onomah, Harrison Reed and Jean Michael Seri all part of Marco Silva's first-team plans, it looks as though Anguissa's career with the Cottagers could be over despite signing a one-year extension ahead of his loan to Italy, extending his stay in the English capital potentially until 2024.
Despite his temporary departure though, his presence at Craven Cottage is still being felt financially, with the Championship side set to take on half of his €3m salary and cancelling out the €500,000 loan fee they received as part of the agreement, as per Corriere dello Sport.
They could potentially generate a sizeable eight-figure fee for his services next summer though, with the quoted €15m (£12.7m) option to make the deal permanent is slightly higher than the £9m originally touted by the Daily Mail.
The Verdict:
In terms of Financial Fair Play, this expenditure won't be welcome for a side that will still be adapting to the finances of the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League last term.
They have received a loan fee from Napoli which will help to cushion this blow, but losing €1m on a player they can't even utilise must be a real source of frustration for Fulham, although his desperation to leave west London may have put the Italian outfit in a stronger position at the negotiating table.
The Cottagers will be hoping to offload him permanently if they remain in the second tier, considering the wage package he's likely to be on. But it will be interesting to see what Marco Silva (or his potential successor) do with the midfielder if they return to the top flight and Napoli decide not to activate that permanent option.
All four of Onomah, Reed and Seri and Chalobah are arguably capable of competing in the Premier League - so unless one or two of them leave in the next 12 months - the Cottagers may be the ones trying to force a move for Anguissa next summer.
After handing in a transfer request, it would be hard to see the 25-year-old making a comeback. Fulham fans will just be hoping they receive €15m instead of £9m for his services.