Exclusive: Mozambican club to earn €1 million for Arsenal target

Mozambique’s top-flight league side Associação Black Bulls (ABB) FC will pocket €1 million for the economic rights of their former defender Geny Catamo, a long-time Arsenal target.

In a statement sent to Pan-Africa Football, the former Mozambican league champions confirmed reaching an agreement with Catamo’s current club, Sporting Clube de Portugal (SCP), to pay the money directly in three traches.

“As a result of direct negotiations between Associação Black Bulls and Sporting Clube de Portugal regarding the definitive acquisition of the economic rights of the player Geny Catamo by the Lisbon-based club — and always bearing in mind the strategic interests of our institution — we are pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached in the amount of €1,000,000 (one million euros),” the statement explains.

ABB says the figure is “higher than the €600,000 initially stipulated in the original contract. This amount will be paid directly to Associação Black Bulls by SCP in three instalments, scheduled for 2025, 2026, and 2027.”

The agreement ends a long-standing dispute between ABB, SCP and Amora FC (AFC) over the definitive acquisition of the economic rights of Catamo. Arsenal have of late been linked with the Mambas wingback who is capped 18 times.

“Following the impasse in negotiations between Amora FC and Sporting Clube de Portugal over recent years, a tripartite understanding was recently reached between the parties involved (ABB#AFC#SCP), in which it was agreed that negotiations would proceed independently between SCP and each of the entities,” the statement adds.

The 24-year-old defender launched his professional football career at Club Desportivo de Maxaquene some seven years ago before he caught the attention of Black Bulls who signed him in 2018.

Catamo eventually signed for AFC before securing a move to SCP who eventually tied him to a five-year contract in 2021/22 season before loaning him to Marítimo.

The highly-rated defender won two league titles with SCP in 2024 and 2025, thereby attracting the interest of Arsenal and others from the Premier League.