Why West Ham quartet are facing transfer nightmare as ultimatum offered
West Ham United could be stuck with four outcasts beyond this summer's transfer window.
Having been a Premier League side since 2012, West Ham have been able to dish out lucrative financial packages to new signings.
Recruitment has been largely poor at the London Stadium for a number of years now, and of course contributed to the Hammers' relegation from the Premier League last season.
Now preparing for a campaign back in the Championship, it's these players on Premier League contracts who are now set to cause a major transfer headache for West Ham this summer.
It's not so much an issue when it comes to star players, as buying clubs will be prepared to pay big money to poach top talents away from E20, as fans have already seen with Mateus Fernandes in recent days.
The problem lies with those earning good money who haven't performed in an Irons shirt, and it's seemingly putting them and West Ham in the worst possible scenario.
Who are the four West Ham players causing a contract problem?
West Ham have yet to make a transfer breakthrough this summer in terms of incomings, and how much of that is down to certain exits needing to happen first remains to be seen.
Balancing the books after relegation is going to be vital for the Hammers, and getting those top earners off their payroll who aren't contributing nor in Nuno Espirito Santo's plans is crucial.
However, a report from Claret and Hugh has claimed that a number of West Ham players who the Club ideally want to move on this summer are on contracts far higher than their market value represents.
Despite a 50 per cent wage reduction being triggered as a result of relegation, the report explicitly names James Ward-Prowse, Niclas Fullkrug, Maxwel Cornet and Edson Alvarez are viewed as "unaffordable" by non-English sides.
The report ends by stating that either these players will have to agree to a further wage cut, or come to terms with the fact they won't be able to be sold and will be forced to see out the rest of their current deals playing no kind of first-team role at all.
So, what are the contract situations of those four specific players, and when will they leave as free agents if no transfer dance partners are found for them?
West Ham could be waiting a while to get them off the books
Starting with Alvarez, the Mexican international is contracted with West Ham until June 2028, having joined on a five-year contract from Ajax in the summer of 2023.
West Ham Zone has covered reports of Alvarez' potential loan move to Koln being on the verge of collapse, with a recent print edition of BILD claiming he's having second thoughts on the transfer.
Like Alvarez, Fullkrug is also contracted at the London Stadium until June 2028, having scored just once in 20 appearances whilst out on loan with AC Milan last term.
Both Cornet and Ward-Prowse are inked to Hammers deals until June 2027, with the former playing just eight times for Genoa last season, whilst the latter made 14 appearances on loan at Burnley in the second half of the campaign respectively.
So, particularly in the case of Alvarez and Fullkrug, it could be a long and frustrating wait to hit the free agent market and find moves away from West Ham, which is a scenario surely nobody involved wants.