By Graham Hill
BLUES stand to collect £4million if Jack Butland signs for Villa.
The Stoke City keeper has been targeted by Villa boss Dean Smith.
But Birmingham sold him to Stoke and instead a sell-on clause at the same time.
Potters chiefs will not be letting Butland go on the cheap and have valued him at around £23million.
That is because Blues are owed a massive 20 per cent of any profit made by Stoke when they sell Butland.
The England keeper left St Andrew’s for Stoke six years ago for just £3.5million.
Selling him this summer for Stoke’s asking price would represent a profit of just under £20million – which would see £4million heading into the coffers at St Andrew’s.
The irony is that had Butland been sold last summer, then Blues would probably have avoided the nine point penalty they received for breaking Financial Fair Play rules.
Now, boss Garry Monk could be looking at a windfall to help him bring in new players.
But Villa could find it difficult to knock Stoke down on their valuation because of the sell-on payment.
The Sun says Villa will go in with a £20million offer, but that may not be enough. Smith looks to have moved on from his original plan to buy Neil Etheridge from Cardiff City but that could be resurrected if they cannot get Butland.
Villa Roar 