By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
West Ham have informed every key player of their wish to keep them in an effort to make an instant return to the Premier League.
Like many, I had suspected some of the positive noises emanating from the club were part negotiating tactic as the Hammers set about flexing their new financial muscles to the football world.
Almost every story coming from within the corridors of power at the moment screams ambition, and that certainly applies to retaining players.
Kretinsky’s Message Is Clear
Claret & Hugh have heard directly from one of the players’ agents over the past 24 hours, who told us:
“Kretinsky has said he wants to keep everyone.”
It’s a simple message, but an important one.
The new hierarchy appear determined to give themselves the best possible chance of returning to the Premier League at the first attempt.
Not Everyone Will Stay
Of course, there is a realism and acceptance within the club that not every key player will want to spend a season in the Championship.
Some will have opportunities elsewhere and some will simply feel their careers are better served by remaining in top-flight football.
It’s also doubtful that anybody will be kept against their wishes.
However, the message being delivered to players and their representatives is clear.
West Ham want them to commit to one season in the Championship and help get the club back into the Premier League.
Actions Matching The Words
What’s perhaps most encouraging is that the messaging appears consistent across the board.
Whether it’s plans for a new training ground, proposed improvements to the London Stadium, the search for a Director of Football or attempts to retain key players, the theme remains the same.
Ambition.
Let’s be brutally honest, West Ham are unlikely to convince the likes of Mateus Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville to stay.
But what is becoming increasingly clear is that Daniel Kretinsky and his team are making a genuine effort to keep the squad together rather than oversee a mass exodus.
Something I wasn’t aware of, but am now as a Hammer resident in Hull, is that promotion bonuses count against a club’s PSR/SCR.
Newly promoted Hull players had promotion bonuses in their contracts and now the Tigers have to sell player(s) to meet PSR rules or else they’ll be deducted points before the next season starts.so keeping big star players needs an eye on bonuses thatxI was not aware of.
List of non-key players (not including Fernandes or Summerville)
Areola
Todibo
Wan Bissaka
JWP
Fullkrug
Wilson
Cornet
Get that lot off the wage bill and you might not need to sell Summerville.
Timings wise it’s not a bad situation for a player. A season in a lower division with no international tournaments following isn’t a terrible time to commit. If they could commit to at least one season and if that doesn’t work out then they can go. But i fear that is the issue, if your a player that plays in a team that gets stuck in the championship, you are then quite rightfully tarnished as a player of that level. No pro any Ego could handle that and neither could their agent afford the loss in revenue.
Players that think they need to move as they belong in top flight football need to take a long hard look at themselves after all they are the ones that put themselves in the championship not the fans…..But as Summerville has already found out going abroad unless to a Madrid/PSG/Bayern you will not get the wages and if you stay and go to a prem team then they are going to have to cough up the big bucks to get you no more snide Sullivan deals doing himself the favour and not the club.
Perhaps this is a message to players and agents. We want everyone to stay, which translates to ‘don’t think if you try to engineer a cut price deal away that we’ll play along’. We want Fernandes to stay, but I am sure we’d listen to offers. Just not those where the player ‘has their heart set on joining’ some ‘big’ team who ‘value’ the player twenty million euros less than West Ham do.
Note that this is only ‘key’ players and that could be pretty small group. If you are a player who hasn’t been told this then there’s an equally powerful messages. A different message.
Gonzo, why wouldn’t players stay if happy and make their move in the winter window if things were not going to plan and stay if they are. Just seems like another option 🤷
All very refreshing after the mismanagement we’ve had to put up with for years. As long as it is backed up with substance then this may well prove to be a big turning point.
If the fella keeps going like this the club will have to name a stand after him, “Kretinsky Corner”… Wait up, that would need a new stadium with corners… You don’t think… He wouldn’t…
Nah.
we need to convince Nuno to make the possibility of an Irankunda Corner a reality, Neil 🇦🇺😉