Hopes are fading that West Ham will sign either Fiorentina’s’s Nikola Millenkovic or Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma.
Both had been considered front runners for the vacant centre back position left by Fabian Balbuena but while not completely dead, David Moyes now looking at other central defensive options and is likely to move on.
West Ham is thought to have agreed on a price with Fiorentina for their defender but couldn’t reach an agreement with the player’s representative with neither side willing to budge.
The problem is thought to be related to agent commissions paid rather than wages or length of contract on offer. The agent in question is thought to be Fali Ramadani who hit headlines for the wrong reasons last year after being involved in court proceedings.
Although a return for Kurt Zouma has been mooted by Sky Sports, club insiders have told Claret and Hugh that is also unlikely and David Moyes is turning his attentions else were to sign another centre back target.
Do you know how ridiculous this sounds we are refusing to sign the best CB because of agent fees, I can accept if a player does not want to sign for us but when the player and a top player wants to sign and we are refusing to pay the agent’s fees, well does not say all you need to know about us and our ambition. This guy will be worth 50m in 2 years time – we are becoming the biggest laughing stock in the PL, I am totally disgusted at how the fans are being treated by these owners – the most important transfer window in our history and they are refusing to sign the best CB on the market because they do not want to pay the agent the fees – just incredible. Time to give up on this ownership.
Not ridiculous at all – take a look at his history – google it
What is ridiculous is that we haven’t signed anyone except a keeper. We NEED a striker (given we only have Antonio who is a fragile winger at best) and we NEED a centre back (given Balbuena’s departure). Who do you suggest we sign Hugh?
Agree. We are getting the player cheep, because he has a year left on his contract. And we are haggling over few million in agents fees. So the agents deserve the money, no. But this is how football works these days, agents will try to get as much as they can as they are the in the position of power. He has a years left, and they know if we don’t pay, someone else will. I absolutely guarantee if we do not sign, another club will. So basically if you want him give in and pay the demands. You can afford to when you are getting. A player for half his true value because he only has a year left. I know Hugh loves to defend the board, but this is bit much even for him.
Its quite frankly incredible. We must be the laughing stock. And unless we do something soon i can see us struggling. It is beyond belief. If we ever get anyone its going to be someone no one else particularly wants. A downgrade,
I suppose we need to understand what those fees are, it does sound ridiculous, what I have no idea about is why these players continue to work with agents that make transfers almost impossible?
Doesn’t matter Hugh , we have to compromise , the guy is a bargain . Sullivan is an idiot if he don’t get this done. Far from good enough .
Sullivan paid nearly £10m to agents,last season for Coufal, Benrahma,Alves and Dawson and now he makes a stand – truly shocking that David Sullivan constantly just fails to get Moyes’ choices and ends with one from his favoured agent that he has paid millions to!
Milenkovic for a total of approx £15.5m is an absolute steal regardles of who gets the money,imo.
It’s widely accepted that agent’s fees are way out of proportion for the service they provide.
Nobody likes being held to ransom. Let’s hope that a compromise is found, or move on.
Plenty more players out there.
I really hope we can get this over the line.
Agents seem to be a plague on the game and hopefully they can bring some regulation and stop them holding clubs to ransom.
I’m still hopeful that this is just paper talk and behind the scenes we have some targets that will surprise us.
I think there there will be a frenzy near the end of the window by a lot of clubs
We are back to the penny pinching ways. A penny saved a pound foolish. Whatever happens we need Players and we need them now.
We have agreed the transfer fee, and agreed the players demands. So we could of already signed Nikola Millenkovic. Let that sink in.
Now what’s holding this up is that the agents have asked for too much money, more money than normally and more then they deserve. And Sullivan has stuck his heels in and said no we will not pay it.
However this is the wrong approach. You could understand it if we wasn’t desperate for more signings, which we are. Or if the transfer fee was too high which it isn’t. So basically even if we paid the excessive agents fees, we are still getting a great value for money on a quality player, in which Moyes highly rates and wants.
So what could happen now…. A) very small chance the agent will back down and a fee will be agreed. B) small chance Sullivan will back down and fee will be agreed. C) the far morel likely outcome, a new club will come in pay excessive agents fees, and sign Millenkovic. Or player will play out his last year contract then move on a free, which would be a win for the agent, as they then get more money, hence the reason they asking for excessive fees now.
So if this transfer break down now, you have to point your finger at the board, for being too stubborn to pay the excessive agent fees. Bearing in mind even with paying the fees the deal on whole has potential to be a real a steal in the long run.
Is it good practice to pay agents what they want? We loathe the agent thing and whether we should do that has to be questionable surely
No one wants to be held to ramson over excessive agent fees. Agents are the devil of football. However in answer to your question you need have to look at the transfer on a whole. The player has one year left on his contract, the agents know that he is a valuable asset to them, and it would suit them, if this transfer did not happen now. Because the ideal situation for them, is for the player to play one more season, and be available on a free, they then know they will be able to demand more fees for their client, and puts them in a more powerful positron. So naturally the agents will try to demand more money now, as they are in an win win scenario.
Is this wright no not really, but in answer to your question yes we should pay them in this scenario. Reason being is the plus side of the player only having one year on his contract is we are getting a very good deal on the transfer fee. Meaning the total to pay including the excessive agents fees, is still great value on a whole. Especially when its Moyes number one CB target, and the fact we are in desperate need for more players, if we want to grow on the back of a fantastic last season. Nikola Millenkovi is only 23 so has all the protentional of being a steal, and we could be in sitting in a situation next season, of him being worth twice the value we paid, as he will be locked in to a longer contact.
Or you run the risk of another club coming, and paying the agent fees. We will then loose out on Moyes number one pick. This in my opinion would be a failure on the board.
Reasonable assumption assuming that’s all there was to it