Quiet Viktor Gyokeres move shows Arsenal transfer was never in doubt

Arsenal's pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres finally came to a successful conclusion last month, with the Swedish striker inking a five-year contract following a £63.5million switch from Sporting CP.

The Gunners' chase to land the 27-year-old had been one of the longest running sagas of the summer transfer window but Gyokeres had long made his intentions clear when it came to making the move to Emirates Stadium, informing his former employers that he would not be returning for next season.

But while the deal was completed officially on July 27, Gyokeres and his camp had already pre-empted it with creation of a new London-addressed company where he was the sole director almost two weeks before the deal’s completion, as confirmed by a Companies House submission.

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VG9 Promotions Limited was incorporated on July 16 last month, with an address at Queen Victoria Street, London. A small statement of share capital of £100 was confirmed.

Gyokeres joins a large number of Premier League footballers who have companies in their own name, but what is the motivation behind the formation of such entities?

In recent years the addition of image rights agreements in player contracts has taken on far greater significance.

As players have become brands, in some cases being even stronger and compelling to younger generations than the social pull of the clubs themselves, players and agents have realised the brand value that exists and how it can be monetised.

Gyokeres, through his VG9 Promotions firm, is not on his own when it comes to creating an image rights company. There are plenty of elite players globally who have such companies set up, and there is good reason for it from their perspective.

When a club signs a player, they are not only acquiring a talent to aid their competitive goals but an asset that the club can use to help generate greater revenues through their marketability. For existing or would-be commercial partners, the ability to have their brands associated with top players is compelling and leads to a willingness to pay higher sums to the clubs themselves.

But it is the player's image, one related to such things as name, trademark characteristics, squad number, social following, and other areas and players are now switched on to knowing that they must look after their own interests.

When a club signs a player, one of the key agreements to be reached is regarding images rights and what the club can expect from their player when calling upon them to appear in marketing campaigns for commercial partners. The two parties will attempt to reach as much common ground as possible so that there is little confusion about what is expected of them during a campaign from a commercial perspective. It removes any potential for legal issues.

If a commercial partner wants to use a player for a campaign, then the club would have to call upon the player within the confines of the image rights agreement in place and the licence that has been obtained.

In creating an image rights company, the player will sell their rights to the company itself and will then receive a fee paid directly to the firm from the club for use of their image rights.

It is also beneficial from a tax perspective, with that money received taxed at a 19 per cent company rate as opposed to it being subject to the 45 per cent tax rate that would be applied to players through the salary received from the club. For some players, such methods work as something of a savings account throughout their careers ahead of taking out funds at a later date for them to invest in other areas in later life.

The move to Arsenal is the most high-profile and lucrative of the Swedish striker's career, and his prominence as Arsenal's new talisman in attack means his stock, if he achieves in the Premier League, will rise significantly and commercial opportunities that may not have presented themselves a few short years ago are now in plentiful supply.

The formation of his company will be around how to best manage the money that arrives from his image rights and investments as part of a sensible plan to look to the future and a life after football.

Football players know their value to the teams that sign them now more than ever and image rights have become a significant part of discussions when it comes to where players decide to go.