Livingston chief executive John Ward insists the cash from Lyndon Dykes’ move to Queens Park Rangers will help the club get through the devastating coronavirus-induced financial climate.
Ward has confirmed that the Lions are set to receive less than £1 million upfront as part of the reported £2 million deal that saw the striker sign a four-year deal with the English Championship outfit on Wednesday.
Dykes’ former club Queen of the South are also set to receive a six-figure sum as part of a sell-one clause.
Further windfalls for the Lions could follow if Dykes reaches appearance milestones, makes his debut for Scotland and helps Mark Warburton’s side achieve promotion.
However, Ward concedes that the money is more likely to be used to service the gaping financial blackhole left by the health crisis rather on bolstering Gary Holt’s squad.
Ward said: “It’s a good move for Lyndon and from the club’s point of view there is potentially a lot of money there for the club.
“I don’t now the exact number but we’ve sold less than a couple of hundred season tickets so we have no real income until football with supporters starts back other than a share of what the clubs get from the Premiership.
“I’ve seen £2 million being bandied about, but our share of that will be less than half in terms of an up front payment.
“Queen of the South will also be due a cut of that money as well, that’s the way it’s structured.
“There are some nice incentives if QPR are promoted or if he plays for Scotland and appearances and stuff.
“It’s a really well structured deal in terms of add ons and future opportunities. Whatever the final fee is, I think we get about 60 per cent of it.
“We just hope he goes down there and gets playing and he fulfils the potential that everybody thinks he has.”
Ward also believes that Dykes’ move will aid Livingston when it comes to convincing future signing targets that the West Lothian outfit can help propel players’ careers.
He added: “Would I rather have kept him? Yeah, probably but it’s one of these things.
“You can’t really stand in his way, especially when you’re a club like Livingston.
“We don’t pay the highest wages and it’s almost why these guys come to Livingston, they’ll get the opportunity and they’ll be trained well and when the times come we won’t stand in their way.”
