Mikel Arteta hopes his move to Arsenal helps Everton balance the books.
Hard-up Everton will have to hand over £1m to Real Sociedad from the Arteta deal.
The Merseysiders agreed to a sell-on clause when they signed him from the Spaniards in 2005.
But Arteta, 29, hopes his sale can help to reduce some of the cash woes at Goodison.
He said: "The club is in a situation where they need to sell someone. They don't want to put the team and the club in a situation when in one or two years it is in bits."
