Just as you thought things couldn't be going much better for Liverpool at present, details of a 30% sell-on clause inserted into the deal that saw Luis Alberto join Lazio have been revealed.
While on the surface that may seem superfluous for a player who was undoubtedly a flop on Merseyside, when you consider how spellbindingly good he's been for the Serie A side this season, you may start to think otherwise.
Sold to the Serie A side for a mere £4.3m with add-ons, not much was expected to come of the Spaniard who joined the Reds with much hype.
Well, discard your previous preconceptions, because Alberto has been in outstanding form for I Biancocelesti this season. More specifically, 12 assists and four league goals levels of outstanding.
And while even that may not succeed in changing your minds, perhaps when you consider the fact that Lazio are seeking to tie him down to a new deal that includes a release clause of around £87m, you might finally be swayed.
As per Corriere della Sera, Lazio are hell-bent on keeping the in-form midfielder at the club long-term, but should they fail, then they would command a fee in the region of £69m this summer. To save you the effort, that would pocket the Reds a cool £21m. On a player they bought for £6.8m.
Ironically, Everton are one of the sides linked with Alberto. How put off would it make them if they know signing the 27-year-old will only work in benefiting their cross-city rivals? Apparently, not a lot.
Should such a situation arise, however, then much of the praise will be directed towards Liverpool's sporting director, Michael Edwards. This is the same man who managed to flog Dominic Solanke for £19m. In other words, he's a wizard.
His influence on the club often goes uncredited, but there is no denying his role in the side's recent success has been just as important as other members of the club. I mean, come on, he managed to nab £19m for Solanke, who has one Premier League goal to his name, not to mention the £15m he persuaded Bournemouth to pay for Jordon Ibe.
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