Traore AND Cole deals just don’t add up

Sometimes things don’t add up!

And the idea that West Ham United can sign Lacina Traore and offer Carlton Cole a new contract is one of them!

For weeks we have been told that strikers will have to be allowed to leave to bring in a quality striker .

Mladen Petric has gone saving £30,000  a week yet if Cole were to stay he would obviously want an increase let’s say of £10,000 minimum on his current £20,000.

That leaves £20,000 towards the cost of top striker Traore who presumably would command wages of around £50,000 – £60,0000 minimum. Doesn’t work does it particularly bearing in mind the FFP mantras from the owners?

If we also  believe Andy Carroll is recovering we would then have three big strikers instead of the two originally planned at a time when a central defender is a major priority

The Cole situation is far from clear anyway with the media reporting that the manager is ready to offer him a new deal.

But what  Sam Allardyce actually said was:

“We’ve got that in mind and are talking about that as quickly as we possibly can because obviously it needs to be addressed.  Carlton will be dealt with very shortly.”

That doesn’t say  “We are going to offer Carlton Cole a new deal. It says the club is going to address the Carlton Cole issue.”

The big striker has 12 days left on his deal and presumably  he has a say in what personal terms he requires .

Should he be offered one he will know the club are in great need of him and almost inevitably the price goes up.  Supply and demand! Way it works.

And should he get a deal I reckon we can rule out that “quality striker ” as the cash certainly won’t be there to pay a loan fee and top wages at a time when we also need that decent central defender.

The next 12 days are going to tell us an awful lot.