Emerson and Vladimir Coufal: West Ham’s £865,000 mistake that could cost them millions
Emerson and Vladimir Coufal both left West Ham United for a total of £865,000 last summer, and it could be a mistake that costs the Hammers millions upon millions.
The Irons look destined for Premier League relegation, and with that comes all the financial ramifications that David Sullivan doesn’t want to deal with.
Nuno Espirito Santo‘s full-back options this season have been Kyle Walker-Peters, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Oli Scarles, and El Hadji Malick Diouf.
All four would arguably struggle to get into the team over the likes of Coufal and Emerson, who were both deemed not good enough last summer.
Now, West Ham must face the potential costs of Premier League relegation, with an inevitable drop just a matter of when, not if.
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West Ham face multi-million costs from £865,000 mistake
West Ham sold Emerson for approximately £865,600, as Coufal was let go on a free transfer.
It’s safe to say that both players are missed, and there’s no reason why the Irons have looked so exposed down either flank this season with their current options.
| Stats | Emerson | Coufal |
| Matches | 28 | 34 |
| Assists | 3 | 8 |
| Defensive contributions | 147 | 221 |
| Clean sheets | 6 | 7 |
As seen in the table above, both Coufal and Emerson have been in good form for Hoffenheim and Marseille since moving on from the London Stadium.
West Ham will face different types of financial implications through relegation, with broadcast revenue set to drop by up to £80million.
The Hammers are said to earn up to £15m from front-of-shirt betting sponsors and would be “lucky” to get £1.5m in the Championship.
Former Aston Villa and Liverpool CEO Christian Purslow has predicted West Ham’s matchday income could drop by up to £20m, while their annual turnover in the Championship would be roughly £100m less in total.
Recent news has also suggested that Sullivan will need to raise £100m in player sales just to keep the club safe from any other breaches.
All of this could have been avoided had it not been for the silly decision to let Emerson and Coufal go for a measly £865,000 combined fee.
Stake changes put more pressure on Daniel Kretinsky
West Ham are said to have reverted to a similar ownership structure that was seen in E20 under Sullivan and David Gold.
However, Daniel Kretinsky appears to have bought some of Gold’s previous 25.1 per cent stake in the club via the former owner’s family trust, and has more of a split responsibility with Sullivan now.
Kretinsky is barely seen in public and is yet to fully address West Ham fans and tell them who he is, what his intentions are, and more.
However, the businessman will have more eyes on him than ever following a big increase in his stake in West Ham, as it comes at a time when changes are needed more than ever.