Hearts can make money on Armand Gnanduillet with clause in Le Mans agreement similar to Uche Ikpeazu deal
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Two winning goals in his first two appearances brought Gnanduillet instant popularity in north west France following his arrival last month.
He was released by the Edinburgh club on a free transfer, allowing Le Mans to secure his services on an 18-month contract without payment changing hands. However, Hearts officials inserted clauses in the deal which could bring them future rewards.
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Hide AdAdd-ons including a sell-on agreement were put in to ensure that, should Le Mans sell the player, some proceeds will filter back to Tynecastle Park. It is understood the sell-on fee would be 20 per cent.
Gnanduillet joined Hearts as a free agent in January 2021 but fell out of favour and moved back to France to play in the Championnat National – the third tier of the country's football system.
He hopes to revitalise his career there and potentially earn a move to a bigger league, either in Europe or the United Kingdom.
Other clubs are already monitoring the 29-year-old after an impressive start back in his homeland. He scored in 1-0 wins against Cholet and Avranches in his first two games for Le Mans before sustaining a minor injury.
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Hide AdHearts structured the Gnanduillet deal similarly to that which allowed the former Tynecastle striker Uche Ikpeazu to join Wycombe Wanderers in August 2020.
Ikpeazu’s transfer also included a sell-on clause – in his case 30 per cent – earning the Edinburgh club a tidy six-figure sum when Wycombe sold him to Middlesbrough in a deal worth a total £1million last summer.