One of the most distressing parts of relegation for any side is to see the break-up of an expensively – assembled squad of players who, not a month before, had been (mostly) firm fan favourites.
The inevitable exodus after dropping out of the division meant that there were sixteen players out of the revolving door at London stadium last summer and the ‘stars’ who we’d been cheering on all year were here one day, gone the next.
Tough especially for fans, wearing a player’s name on their shirt one minute, seeing him sold to a former competitor the next.
Bad enough a year ago when Mohammed Kudus departed to rivals Spurs. But Kudus and West Ham had always seemed a temporary stop on the player’s journey since his agents tried to get him a move away from east London during Lopegeui’s tenure, when the writing for the Ghanaian was surely inked on the wall.
The sale of Mateus Fernandes, however, the ‘young player of the season’ for most Hammers fans, was always likely to be more painful.
Fortunately, Spurs leaped in and threw so much money at the deal that few fans blamed West Ham for parting with their midfielder: £85 million, we thought – fair enough – but – are they mad?
Crysencio Summerville – another we didn’t want to lose but more than 100% pure profit softened the blow!
Deal done, Fernandes departed and the Hammers continued in that vein, selling Summerville for £60 million and Diouf for nearly £40m. Huge sums indeed which paid down so much debt very few supporters blamed the club’s owners for taking the cash – whilst privately sniggering at the more than 100% profit each of those sales generated – in Fernandes’ and Diouf’s cases, a total of …£60 million profit in just twelve months. Crazy money.
Finally now Tottenham’s sporting director Johan Lange has admitted what we all thought at the time: Crazy money indeed for a 21 year old, twice relegated Fernandes. Admitting as much to Danish magazine BorsenDK, The Spuds boss held up his hands over the eye watering sums paid by his club for unproven talent:
“For people who aren’t into football, it might sound completely insane that there aren’t a lot of players to choose from when you have £80 million”
‘Insane’ it surely was. Thanks very much, Tottenham. Solved our little debt crisis in the nick of time.
By the way: Don’t want to buy the excellent, wonderful Jean Clair Todibo as well, do you? He’d be a snip for you at -what would we say – a ‘mere’ £50 million….
There is a player playing for Cardiff called Jack Moylan who is as good if not better than fernandez snap him up in January before the big boys come calling in the summer. Mark my words this guy is going to be world class.