Your 1st example is correct, as the player license is already registered with the club, so it is possible, but loaned with an option is the only case. If its an obligation, then the club has to activate the asset from the beginning.
I was refering to the normal case a player bought in June vs. player bought in July and u cannot simple decide which year to book it. That is not how accounting works.
As I said: reading the financial statements (and I do it for a living...not a CPA, but an investment analyst), the interpretation of how you book the capital gain depends on when “the risk and benefit” is transferred. So if Roma and Juventus completed the transfer on June 30th, and the agreement has been finalized, you could interpret that risk has been transferred and the benefit received. The FIFA transfer rules are just to register the contracts with the footballing body - that doesn't indicate to me that the "right to register" can't be bought or sold before that. That doesn’t mean the agreement isn’t effective nor that the benefit/ risk hasn’t been transferred. As of 6/30/2019 Roma and Juventus had an official agreement that used the term "definitive disposal of registration right".
If Spinazzola got injured in hours following the agreement, it would be Roma’s problem because the agreement was final, and Roma owns the registration right. That in itself is an argument to book the gain in period ending 6/30/2019 because risk has been transferred. Keep in mind the press release from the agreement was issued on 7/1/2019 but was included 18/19 fiscal year section of the website, and the FY ends on 6/30/2019. That indicates to me that the Spinazzola sale will be recorded in the 18/19 FY.
I would expect consistent with this that:
- Spinazzola's gain would be booked in the '18/19 FY
- Whatever capital expenditure associated with the registration rights of Pellegrini would be booked in that same period.
- Depreciation would then be recognized over the life of his 4 year contract.
Could I be wrong? Yes. But reading Juventus’ annual report indicates that it will likely be recorded as a 18/19 gain rather than 19/20. We will find out in the coming months when the annual financial statements are reported.
But one thing is for sure. They couldn’t book a transfer made in July in June. Romero’s transfer is included in the 19/20 section. But the Spinazzola agreement was booked on 6/30/2019.
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