West Ham United remain locked in talks with Samir Nasri and his representatives despite a proposed deal hitting a snag regarding wages, according to a source quoted as saying in a text message on website Claret and Hugh.
The Hammers site, which has extensive links inside the London Stadium, report that manager Manuel Pellegrini is ‘desperately keen’ to agree a deal for the 5ft 10in France international [Transfermarkt], who played under him at Manchester City.
Claret and Hugh claim that there is no chance the club will pay the £80,000-a-week being reported in the press, with the Hammers insistent that a large chunk of his wages come from performance-related bonuses.
A club source is quoted as saying in a text late on Tuesday: “We are negotiating but at £80k basic it’s a no. Appearance money has to be involved.”
OPINION
After initial reports yesterday seemed to suggest that a deal was imminent, it is clear now that there is a long way to go if West Ham want to sign Nasri. There was a significant amount of uproar when reports claimed Nasri would earn £80,000-a-week, although that is obviously now off the cards. Some reports suggest that West Ham baulked at Nasri’s wage demands, while others claim that the club are seriously concerned about Nasri’s fitness, and hence are keen to make sure his contract is highly incentivised. There are further claims that an offer from China has complicated the situation further. There were always going to be huge issues involved with such a deal, with Nasri coming back into the game after an 18-month doping ban, and West Ham are obviously finding that out. Pellegrini however seems extremely keen to wrap this one up, and it would not be a surprise to see him become a Hammer in the coming days.
