West Ham United are shelling out an astonishing £410,000 per week to five outcasts while Declan Rice’s future hangs in the balance.
West Ham supporters and the wider football world have been bemused as to why the club has failed to offer young star Declan Rice a satisfactory contract.
Hammers fans are seriously concerned the club could lose Rice over his much-publicised contract impasse.
Rice posted a message on Twitter this week displaying just a snooze emoji which has since been deleted.
That was construed by paranoid Hammers as further proof their new hero is growing fed up of the situation.
Rice wages pale into insignificance compared to five outcasts
Rice has been embroiled in protracted contract negotiations since breaking into the West Ham first team last season.
The former Chelsea youth player became an integral part of firstly David Moyes’ setup and now Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
Negotiations between the players’ representatives and West Ham over a new deal have become difficult in the past few months.
Rice, who earns about £3,000 per week currently (Evening Standard), recently rejected an offer of £15,000 per week plus £20,000 for every Premier League start and a salary rise after every 15 Premier League games.
The key to satisfying Rice’s demands appeared to be offering a higher basic wage.
But West Ham are yet to budge and according to the London Evening Standard, the East Londoners have made their teenage star a final, improved contract offer which remains unsigned.
Nearly half a million per week in wages… and for what?
Meanwhile West Ham are shelling out a shocking £410,000 in wages per week to five outcasts.
Andy Carroll, Javier Hernandez, Michail Antonio, Reece Oxford and Winston Reid are taking home a combined total of around £410,000 based on their widely reported salaries.
Hernandez is the highest earning West Ham player of all time on £140,000 per week.
Carroll, who is yet to feature this season and played just 18 times last term takes home £90,000 per week.
Michail Antonio’s new contract saw his ages bumped up to £70,000 per week. Many would argue that he has not had a good game since.
Future captain could be lost over contract impasse
Enigma Reece Oxford’s career has hit a brick wall but he picks up a cool £40,000 per week from his first professional deal.
And injury-prone Winston Reid, who is out for the season, still has five years to run on a six-year contract signed last August which sees him collect £70,000 per week.
That’s £410,000 to five players contributing very little to the West Ham cause.
All the while Rice is arguably the club’s key player in the heart of midfield and future captain material.
The figures make a mockery of the way West Ham have gone about building their squad.
It is evidence of a scattergun approach to recruitment that has often smacked of desperation.
And West Ham must not let a stray bullet wound relations with Rice.
Lose him and the fans’ frosty relationship with co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold will be tested to the limit.
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