West Ham’s top offer to Winston Reid will be £55,000 as the club negotiates over a new deal.
With no offers from elsewhere the central defender’s advisers aren’t in the strongest position to demand the £75,000 reported exclusively by ClaretandHugh a few days ago.
With just a year left on his contract, the Hammers are refusing to be held to ransom by agents demands on any of their players.
Some observers believe the decision to break a strict pay policy when handing Andy Carroll an £80k a week wage has perhaps made a rod for the club’s back.
And if they are pushed to the limits, the Irons are likely to offer £5,000 more than the current £50,000 ‘ceiling’ to secure Reid on a three or four year deal.
A source told us: “It will be Winston’s decision whether he signs or decides to let his contract run down and leave on a free next summer.
“It would make no sense for the Hammers to get nothing for him so they would have no alternative but to put a price on his head.
“However, these are very early days in the talks and everybody is still hopeful they can work things out.”
Crazy to let him go now. After a dubious start as left back against Villa, Reid has grown into one of our few International quality players. How much would we then have to pay in transfer fees and wages to get a similar replacement. There are no stories of him wanting to move to a “bigger club” so I say again,crazy not to negotiate a settlement to suit all parties.
COYI.
There’s a another side to this – does he wants to stay?