Jaden Dixon transfer fee truth emerges after Arsenal, Stoke City agreement | OneFootball

The full-back departed the Potteries in the final stages of the winter transfer window

A transfer truth has emerged following the last-gasp deal which took Stoke City youngster, Jaden Dixon, to Arsenal in a deal which was confirmed after Monday's 7pm deadline.

According to the Stoke Sentinel, which followed the centre-back's switch to the Emirates Stadium, the fee which the Potters have received is significantly less than what has been initially reported, although a similar sum of cash could end up reflecting the overall balance of the transfer agreement depending on circumstances.

Dixon has been one of the most highly-rated performers in Stoke's academy setup, but has rarely been unable to force his way into the first-team reckoning whilst enhancing his initial development in North Staffordshire ever since joining from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2023.

It had been a mixed transfer window for Mark Robins and his staff at the Bet365 Stadium, with the Reds looking to continue pushing for a first spot in the Championship play-off places since being relegated from the Premier League in the spring of 2018 under Paul Lambert.

It was a case of three players in and four out of the door for the Potters, with the Deadline Day additions of Ato Ampah from Chelsea and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi of Crystal Palace following on from the exciting loan agreement secured for Go Ahead Eagles forward, Milan Smit, as well as another temporary agreement for the currently sidelined Gavin Bazunu, who joined from Southampton.

Meanwhile, Dixon's end-of-window exit followed the departures of Andre Vidigal, Jack Bonham and Nathan Lowe, who have all since moved to League One sides in the form of Wycombe Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers, albeit Lowe's switch to Adams Park came in the form of a loan.

Transfer truth emerges as Jaden Dixon finalises last-gasp winter transfer from Stoke City to Arsenal

After joining from one side of North London two-and-a-half years ago under the management of Alex Neil, Dixon would immediately slot into Stoke's Under-18s side, where he made 10 appearances before moving into the Under-21s.

For the aforementioned age group, the 18-year-old was able to amass 39 appearances, scoring on one occasion and providing a further two assists.

His first of six senior appearances for the Potters would eventually come in August 2024 in the final weeks of Steven Schumacher's spell in charge, with the defender featuring at right-back in a 2-0 victory over Carlisle United in the EFL Cup first round, before making his Championship bow four days later in a 2-1 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road as a substitute.

Dixon went on to make one more league appearance off the bench for Stoke, as well as featuring heavily in their eventual run to the EFL Cup's round of 16, where Narcis Pelach's side were narrowly defeated by then-Premier League opposition in the form of Southampton.

However, less than two years after signing his first professional contract with the club, the England youth international has failed to make a senior appearance under Robins despite a well-documented injury crisis at Stoke at present, although he would make the bench against Coventry City in the FA Cup third round on January 10th.

Although some reports have suggested that the Gunners have parted with £3.2m to secure the defender's services, the Stoke Sentinel report that such a fee has the potential to be met as a result of a plethora of substantial clauses inserted within the transfer agreement.

The publication also claim this would be a 'best case scenario' and that the Potters have struck a similar agreement with Chelsea to sign Ampah, whilst they will also retain a sell-on clause as a result of Dixon's move to the Emirates.

It has also been stated that the initial transfer fee is less than £400,000.

Dixon is clearly a player with a strong ceiling, having come through Tottenham's academy initially, as well as now moving to the other side of North London.

As such, Stoke will hope it isn't a decision they will live to regret, and that they are able to eventually recoup a significant sum of cash should the handful of clauses from the aforementioned transfer agreement.