Peterborough United chairman reveals the true cost of the club’s transfer work and hints at the identity of the club’s long-term midfield target

MacAnthony posted an enlightening video on his personal youtube channel last night (September 2) as the summer transfer deadline approached.

Posh business on the final day was restricted to the departures of full-back Jason Naismith and midfielder Mark O’Hara on season-long loans, plus the cancellation by mutual consent of winger Isaac Buckley-Ricketts’ contract.

As expected Posh made no further signings, but crucially they kept hold of star man Marcus Maddison despite the presence of a binding release clause in his existing contract.

MacAnthony revealed (PT comments in brackets)...

*Posh spent £1.4 million in transfer fees in the summer as they recruited 12 new players.

(Mo Eisa is understood to have cost a club record fee of around £1.3 million.

*Extra money was spent on signing-on fees, relocation fees, agent fees.

(Experienced players like Mark Beevers and George Boyd were signed on free transfers on high wages by Posh standards).

*Posh received £735K in transfer fees in the summer as 11 players left the club.

(Matt Godden’s transfer to Coventry accounts for most of that).

*Posh will receive an additional £500k if players currently out on loan turn their deals into permanent ones.

(George Cooper, Mark O’Hara and Jason Naismith have recently left the club on loan).

*Posh turned down bids totalling £7.2 million for players in the summer.

(An unnamed Championship club bid £4 million for Ivan Toney).

*Posh were paying £19.5k on wages every week on players who were at the club on loan last season.

(Lee Tomlin, Dan Lafferty, Ben White and Josh Knight were all on loan at Posh from higher level clubs last season).

*The Posh playing wage bill is down £1500 per week on last season.

*The average player wage is down on last season.

*The average age of the current squad is down by a year to 23.5 compared to last season.

MacAnthony also revealed the long-term midfield target who turned Posh down at the last minute is at a Scottish club, but spent a successful time on loan in League One last season.

“We were gutted about that one,” MacAnthony said. “It looked like it would happen last Friday, but then the player decided he wanted to fight for his place at his current club which we understand.

“We actually agreed dels with three clubs for midfielders, but for one reason or another they didn’t happen.

“It’s the only area of the team we failed to get the manager his first target, but he told me not to waste the club’s money on signing someone for the sake of it.

“We don’t have the greatest depth in some areas, but we will get through to January and see what our situation is then. “The manager is happy with how the squad is deveoping and so am I. I am also happy with the business we have done. It’s been prudent. Seven of the players who arrived have been free transfers and if the players out on loan do eventually sign for the other club we are not far apart in money spent compared to money received.

“We were offered other players, but bringing Championship players in on big money on loan could prevent our own young players from developing and we don’t want that.”