Velez Sarsfield receive settlement for former Sunderland midfielder Alvarez

Velez Sarsfield have been paid more than £335,000 to settle their claim over former Sunderland midfielder Ricky Alvarez following a lengthy legal wrangle, the Argentinian club has announced. Velez have received 362,500 euros – around £335,330 – under the FIFA solidarity mechanism, which compensates clubs who have helped to develop players, in the latest twist in the saga of the Black Cats’ ill-fated 2014 swoop for the winger. A statement on the club’s official website said: “After an arduous negotiation without results, Velez raised a claim before FIFA on 03/25/2019, obtaining the collection of its percentage under the solidarity mechanism of the amount that Sunderland were forced to pay Inter Milan for the value of the transfer. “Thus, our institution obtained the sum of 362,500 euros, a product of the efforts made by the legal team and the claim filed to FIFA.” Alvarez arrived at the Stadium of Light in August 2014 on an initial loan deal from Inter Milan – who signed the midfielder from Velez – but made only 17 appearances as a knee injury limited his involvement. Sunderland wanted the player to undergo surgery, but Inter stalled and the English club then attempted to pull out of a mandatory agreement to make the transfer permanent after they secured their Premier League status. The ensuing legal battle, which involved FIFA and Court of Arbitration for Sport hearings, resulted in defeat for the Black Cats, who were then lumbered with a 10.5million euros bill for a player who was no longer on their books. Argentina international Alvarez joined Italian club Sampdoria in January 2016. Topics Inter Milan, Sampdoria, Vélez Sarsfield, League 1, Sunderland Sunderland pay Velez Sarsfield £335,000 over Ricky Alvarez deal Peruzzi set to undergo second Sunderland medical Manchester City have no case to answer in Garre transfer Copa Sudamericana: Pen settles Argentine battle Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties in Istanbul to win Super Cup Female referee Frappart makes history by taking charge of men’s Super Cup A case of mistaken identity for Jorginho? Macclesfield winding-up petition is adjourned Rangers on verge of signing Leicester midfielder Andy King on loan Neymar has chosen his preferred destination between Barcelona and Real Madrid – but it’s not that simple Jurgen Klopp decided to take a massive gamble in the transfer window – here’s why Liverpool vs Chelsea live stream: how to watch the UEFA Super Cup final Juventus have made contact with Christian Eriksen – but there’s some good news for Tottenham 7 players who were persistently linked with Premier League moves… but never came