Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield was left "dumbfounded" after a tribunal confirmed West Bromwich Albion will receive just a fraction of the price they were expecting following Nathan Ferguson's move to Crystal Palace.
The Premier League club were ordered to pay just £900,000 for the defender earlier this month.
What's the latest news involving Ferguson?
Ferguson completed a switch to Palace last year, penning a three-year deal after his West Brom contract had expired.
A tribunal was tasked with deciding the fee the Eagles would have to part with for the 21-year-old and the minimal fee will come as a huge blow to West Brom after they rejected a Palace bid of £4million and saw an £8million deal fall through due to a knee problem just months before his Baggies contract ran out.
However, Ferguson's move away from the Hawthorns has not gone to plan as injuries have resulted in him still failing to pull on a Palace shirt despite heading to Selhurst Park more than a year ago.
It does appear as though there is light at the end of the tunnel for the right-back though, with Eagles manager Patrick Vieira revealing Ferguson is closing in on a return to contention and a long-awaited debut last month.
Ferguson made 21 senior appearances for the Baggies after coming through the Midlands club's ranks, scoring one goal and grabbing a solitary assist in the process.
What has Luke Hatfield said about the Ferguson saga?
Hatfield was shocked when the fee West Brom stood to make from Ferguson's departure was revealed.
The journalist was clearly expecting the Baggies, who are currently third in the Championship table and six points adrift of the automatic promotion places, to secure more cash for the academy product's services.
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Ferguson, whose £28,846-per-week Palace contract is due to expire in the summer of 2023, is valued at £3.6million by Transfermarkt.
With that in mind, Hatfield could not understand how the tribunal has come to their decision.
He told GIVEMESPORT: "I was dumbfounded by it, to be honest with you, when it broke."
Are West Brom at risk of finding themselves in a similar situation in the future?
Reyes Cleary is in exciting form for West Brom's under-18 and under-23 sides, scoring 11 goals in as many appearances this season.
But the 17-year-old has yet to pen a professional contract with the Baggies despite the club being desperate to keep hold of him and it has led to interest from Palace, who have already profited from the Ferguson deal, along with German sides Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke.
The striker has already been compared to Romelu Lukaku, who set Chelsea back £97.5million during the summer transfer window, despite still being in the early stages of his career.
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