Signing a big-name player but worried about cap space? Easy peasy, especially when you have a wealthy backer.
Step 1 - Player's agent makes contact with a business, totally unconnected with the club, that is keen to secure the image rights - and maybe the general "consultancy services" of a high-profile antipodean.
Step 2 - Deal done - business pays megabucks for said image rights and services to player's offshore personal services company (registered about two nanoseconds before...). All subject to player securing a playing contract in the UK, so he can be available if needed.
Step 3 - Player's agent contacts club, saying he has marquee player on his books who comes financially secure, since he has already secured this lucrative marketing contract with this unconnected business(so won't be any salary cap issues). Player has always wanted to play for [ ] club and has been his dream since he was a nipper (insert name of club for press release purposes once deal done) and now he cannot believe he has the opportunity.
Step 4 - Club says would love to have him, but this little matter of a salary cap means they can only pay him a modest package, nothing like what he could earn in Oz now especially with the exchange rates and tax regime and increased Oz cap all making Oz players so much more expensive than they used to be.
Step 5 - Player's agent explains no problem - player already financially secure, so would be delighted to play for club of his dreams on such modest terms. Where does he sign? And what was the name of your club again?
........
Totally unconnected to all of this, club's owner is having a jar or two with his businessman best pal, who - by very strange co-incidence - is the owner of the business who paid for the player's image rights etc. Both agree what an amazing co-incidence! At the same time, the club owner - feeling generous and so grateful to his pal for selflessly taking the action that allowed the club to sign the player so cheaply, through one of his own businesses (probably offshore) awards his pal a contract which gives the pal extra profit which just happens - again, by strange co-incidence - to be around the amount his pal paid for the image rights etc.
And nowhere, boys and girls, has the salary cap been broken.
