West Ham told to give Ivan Toney £7million payment to sign in January
West Ham should foot half of Ivan Toney’s tax bill to convince him to sign for them in the upcoming window, says Darren Bent.
West Ham want to sign Al-Alhi striker Toney in January with Niclas Fullkrug potentially set to leave the London Stadium.
But the England international only left the Premier League for Saudi Arabia in the summer transfer window prior to last season.
He would need to be out of the country for nearly two years to avoid a large slice of his tax-free wages in the Middle East becoming liable for taxation in the UK.
Callum Wilson scored twice as West Ham drew with Bournemouth on Saturday to leave the Hammers only outside the bottom three on goal difference, and the club have had major issues signing strikers in recent years.
Darren Bent says West Ham should pay half Toney’s tax bill
During a discussion live on talkSPORT former top flight forward Bent indicated he would not be willing to fork out an estimated £14 million to make a return to England if he were in the same position.
But after suggesting it would only be worth it for the 29-year-old if he was going to a top side in contention for trophies, or if Thomas Tuchel were to promise Toney he would be in the England squad for the World Cup, he raised the prospect of a club struggling for goals agreeing to ease the tax burden with a direct payment to the player.
He said: “If someone’s desperate for him, I mean desperate, a club wants Ivan Toney and they’re desperate. Why can’t they foot half the bill?”
He went on: “Say you’re, and no disrespect, West Ham, and you know you need [help], you’re fighting at the bottom… do you know what I mean?”
Callum Wilson can be the answer if he stays fit
It is difficult to see Toney returning to the Premier League at all before next summer, let alone to join Nuno Espirito Santo‘s struggling Irons, even if David Sullivan were willing to direct millions direct to the player.
Wilson has gone some way to indicating he could be the answer West Ham have been searching for up front for so long, with his brace against the Cherries taking him to four in nine top-flight appearances since he joined in the summer.
However, the ex-Newcastle man’s fitness record in recent years makes it a huge risk to assume he can shoulder the load long-term.
If, as seems likely, a Toney deal proves impossible in the New Year then West Ham are surely going to need to come up with some alternative answers to stop relegation becoming a real issue.
West Ham will also need to make sure Jarrod Bowen doesn’t leave if they are to drag themselves out of the mess created over the first half of the campaign.
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