ExWHUemployee: West Ham United defender Harrison Ashby set to join Newcastle with first-team wages on offer to him
West Ham is reportedly unwilling to offer Harrison Ashby the wages he wants as he is now set to move to Newcastle on a permanent basis.
According to ExWHUemployee, the 21-year-old wanted a salary equivalent to that of a first-team player and the Hammers aren’t prepared to match his demands.
Newcastle, on the other hand, are, and the centre-back appears to be heading north and joining Eddie Howe’s side.
Ex said on the West Ham Way podcast at 5:25, “Ashby looks set to join Newcastle. He’s turned down multiple contract offers. They [other players who turned down extensions] believe they should be earning a first-team equivalent wage rather than an academy wage and clubs like Newcastle are prepared to offer this.
“It does look like Ashby is set to go unless he makes a last-minute change of mind although I believe that’s very unlikely.”
Move along
There was a contract on the table for the 21-year-old and despite spending 12 years at the club, he did not feel that it was enough to extend it.
He’s constantly been flirting with an exit and after he didn’t get his move over the summer, he’s appeared to have downed tools.
David Moyes certainly will not want someone at the club who’s done nothing to prove he deserves a push up the pecking order and wages to match that artificially created position.
Ashby still is a reserves player who’s fighting his way to the West Ham first team.
Moyes isn’t foolish to not give him more game time if he’s better than the other players he’s got at his disposal and he’s unlikely to be a regular at Newcastle either.
The Magpies have far too much money to waste time on Ashby to progress and if they do not see instant progress they could go and spend big money on another centre-back.
We’ll really be surprised if he features for the first team again or is even named on the bench of a matchday squad.