Leeds United’s €18m move for Lucas Perri will see the money split across several parties. This update comes from GOAL Brasil who have dug deep into the details of the transaction.
As we covered recently, Botafogo sold their entire stake in Perri to Lyon earlier this year. The French club paid a total of €6.5m across two installments. One when they initially signed him in January 2024, and another when they exercised a clause to buy the remaining 50%.
That move gave Lyon full control and now, with Leeds paying €18m for the player, the majority of the transfer fee will remain in France. But not all the money stays with Lyon.
Due to FIFA’s solidarity mechanism, 5% of the transfer fee must be distributed among clubs involved in Perri’s youth development. São Paulo FC, where he made his professional debut in 2019, will receive 3.7% – roughly €666k (£559k). Ponte Preta, another of his early clubs, are entitled to 0.79%, earning €142k (£119k). The remaining percentage may be split among other Brazilian clubs that briefly hosted him at youth level.
These figures come from consultancy Footlink, who calculated the distribution of solidarity fees based on FIFA regulations. Under this system, up to 5% of any international transfer must be allocated proportionally to the clubs involved in a player’s development between the ages of 12 and 23.
That leaves Lyon with around €17.1m (£14.3m) net from the deal. The structure of this transfer highlights the increasingly complex nature of football finances – where sell-on clauses, development fees and past negotiations can drastically affect who actually profits.
In this case, despite Botafogo playing a key role in Perri’s recent rise and holding 50% of his rights until earlier this year, the timing of Lyon’s full acquisition means the Premier League money flows around them, not through them.
Now Leeds’ total investment in the Lyon goalkeeper could reportedly reach €23m (£19.3m) including bonuses, but the solidarity share is calculated only on the guaranteed €18m.
Perri joins Leeds after a standout season in Ligue 1 and is expected to compete for the starting spot immediately. The move also marks a return to English football, after a brief but uneventful loan spell at Crystal Palace during his early career.
