Mills responds to reported West Ham min-breakdown in Bowen negotiations
West Ham United eventually managed to seal the fantastic signing of forward Jarrod Bowen on transfer deadline day, but it didn’t come easily.
The 23-year-old was incredibly in-demand, while the Hammers’ precarious position in the relegation zone meant that they were, in some respects, a tough sell.
Indeed, The Guardian reported that talks with Bowen were complicated by the club’s insistence that there was a clause containing a 50% drop in his wages should the team be relegated.
The former Hull City star wanted no part of that, but a compromise was reached which included a relegation release clause instead.
Former England international Danny Mills feels that Bowen was right to protect his own interests.
“You’ve got to protect yourself as a player, you’re moving, you’re going to a big club in the Premier League, they’ve got parachute money [upon relegation]. Why shouldn’t he be rewarded for that?,” he told Football Insider.
“You’ve got to accept if you do get relegated there will always be a differential in wages, a slight cut, but that has to be realistic.
“There will have been a little negotiation over that, I’m sure West Ham will say we’ll give you massive wages now but if we go down this is what it gets cut to.”
Was Bowen right to make life difficult over this clause?
Yes, absolutely. It would’ve been ridiculous for him not to object to the wages he’d only signed a few months ago being slashed in half if the Hammers were relegated.
As Mills says, a slight cut might still materialise, but probably not a 50% drop anymore. Plus, the relegation clause is apparently now inserted.
Bowen knew he was joining a team in relegation trouble, so he had to be prudent and protect his own interests. That was all he was doing, here.
In other West Ham news, the manager of a European heavyweight has confirmed that he wanted to sign an Irons first team star last month.