Probably not at the top of the recruitment team’s to do list right at this moment but a pressing matter in any case. Every loaned player – excepting perhaps Nayef Aguerd who seems to think he can get paid and not turn up for preseason – from last season has to return next week for pre season at Rush Green. Several will be hopeful of making the grade with the senior squad- Callum Marshall, George Earthy (main pic) and Freddie Potts must be fancying their chances of impressing a manager who is ‘new’ to them.
One former loanee who cannot seriously be expecting to fight for a squad place – even though he still has a shirt number – is Maxwel Cornet. West Ham’s number 17 returns with the rest after a moderately successful half-season on loan at Genoa.
As always with Cornet there is good news and bad news: As reported today by insidefutbol.com, the Italian side have no plans to offer to buy him, but:
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“Genoa are willing to extend Maxwel Cornet’s loan stay only if West Ham United are ready to contribute to his wages over the course of next season.”
Maxwel Cornet is ready to leave West Ham
‘The Boomerang’ Cornet just keeps coming back.
Which was bad enough last season with the Hammers picking up most of his reported £55,000 a week just for him to play for someone else. Trouble is Cornet still has two more years on his contract: So the Hammers can’t simply pay him off without writing him a cheque for – wait for it – five million, seven hundred and twenty thousand pounds.
So either try and sell him for a couple of million – or keep subsidising most of his wages for another season. Not a great choice. But then, Cornet’s was not a great transfer.