With a large number of player exits still on the cards, West Ham’s recruitment department (or more accurately, ‘departure’ department) faces something of a recurring problem this summer.
Several of the ‘star’ players earmarked for departure are earning significantly higher salaries than the market place will bear and so are proving troublesome to offload.
West Ham face a thorny problem this summer as their highly paid stars are unaffordable in the European Leagues
Their huge salaries – by European standards, even with the 50% wage reduction triggered by relegation, means players like Ward Prowse, Fullkrug, Cornet and Alvarez are seen by the wider market place outside of England as unaffordable.
Which explains the reason that Mexican skipper Edson Alvarez is looking at his hoped-for move to Köln falling through.
West Ham midfielder Alvarez
The midfielder had hoped to escape east London for good this summer but, as per footballplace.co.uk, that whole move is now in jeopardy over his pay:
“Edson Álvarez’s proposed departure from West Ham United is in danger of collapsing, with the midfielder’s wage demands threatening to derail a move to Bundesliga side FC Köln.
Although the two clubs are believed to have reached an agreement over a loan deal, negotiations with the Mexico international have yet to produce a breakthrough.”
No doubt there’ll be a certain amount of brinkmanship from West Ham’s point of view as the new regime play hardball over ‘subsidised’ loans which cost the club dear last season. At some stage these players are going to have to choose to take a cut or see out the end of their West Ham careers without ever stepping onto a football pitch for a competitive fixture.
It must be awful for Alvarez and these other highly paid footballers trying to survive on £50k a week during a cost of living crisis. They all love the game and would play it for nothing……except they wouldn’t
Or play them and get the best put of them maybe with a promise of.bonus if we go up. They will get us back up rather than buying championship standard players. A good man manager like Redlnapp or Clough could pull them together