West Ham’s stance on several key expensive players appears to have toughened since last summer. At the end of the window in 2024 there was seemingly an almighty crush to push players out of the door in order to free up shirts for incoming signings. Some of the loans agreed – whilst the club remain tight lipped on the exact financial arrangements – cost tens of thousands weekly in wage subsidies.
James Ward-Prowse, Nayef Aguerd and Maxwel Cornet were loaned out at a loss with the club having to meet most of their wage demands in their absence. The bulk of the Moroccan’s salary was met by the Hammers even though Aguerd became one of Real Sociedad’s star performers and Cornet spent an unhappy spell at Southampton before a half season at Italian side Genoa.
Ward Prowse, you’ll remember, had his loan cancelled in January as Nottingham Forest had no use for him in the second half of their season.
West Ham do appear to have toughened their stance on these ‘loss leading’ loans. Certainly as far as Aguerd is concerned, the club will only listen to offers for a permanent sale, not a loan. At least for now. Aguerd has made it plain he doesn’t want to come back to the Premier League. Current suitors AC Roma would like to take the player – not being able to afford his £50k a week wages – on another temporary arrangement but the Hammers for their own part will not listen to another subsidised loan, as per sportwitness.co.uk :
“Whether Roma are willing to offer a permanent move, remains to be seen. At the moment they appear to be focused on a loan, which West Ham aren’t interested in sanctioning.”
Surely time to deal with the likes of Cornet and Aguerd once and for all, instead of them ‘boomeranging’ back at the end of another season, unwanted and hardly doing anything to boost the squad morale in pre-season. Difficult enough to build an ésprit de corps without the ‘holiday makers’ coming back for a few weeks just when Potter is trying to knit a squad together.
I’d like a Ferrari but can’t afford one! I think I’ll go to the showroom and see if they will lend me one and help me pay the monthly fees.
Sometimes i think being a professional football player is “money for old rope”.