West Ham may be about to become the latest side under scrutiny for Financial Fair Play irregularities, and fans on social media have been having their say.
The news that the Irons could breach FFP regulations has been shared by Claret & Hugh, who are suggesting that if we do not get a grip on our finances, we could be struck with a transfer ban.
They are saying that while we made an operating profit of £33million last season, which eventually fell to a net gain of £17m after interest on payments and a decline in player trading, we are set to make loses of between £25m and £30m this term.
There is also a suggestion that we’re in line to make further losses next season, somewhere in the region of £40million, if nothing is done this summer to stem the club’s extreme expenditure.
Moving on high-earning fringe players at the end of the campaign will likely be needed if Claret & Hugh’s information is reliable, otherwise we face losing key first-team players like Declan Rice and Issa Diop, who have already been linked with high transfer value moves.
When C&H’s eye-catching report was shared on Twitter, this is what the London Stadium faithful thought…
This is coming directly from a Board propagandist site.
Sullivan up to his old tricks.
Shareholder pay outs due in January for, guess what, around the £40m we’re due to lose.
What Owners we have!— AllSportsView (@AllSportsView) March 19, 2019
We’ve had a transfer ban ( unofficial ) for years before last summer
— Mark (@ElvinWestside) March 19, 2019
A transfer ban wud be a bonus if Sullivan is in charge
— Simon Brewer (@SimonBrewer20) March 19, 2019
Selling Rice for £50 million solves that problem! Excuse already made needed to balance the books!
— Tall Paul (@totallytallpaul) March 19, 2019
Sullivan grassed us up to the FA so he has a legit reason for not spending
— Lord Irons (COYI) (@Lord_Irons) March 19, 2019
The reason it will be £40 million the year we haven’t even had yet (lol) is because the owners are going to take £40 million out.
— Dave Lambourne (@Lambo1966) March 19, 2019
Transfer ban wouldn’t be much different to what we have endured down the years anyway
— R. Jones ☆ (@RockyWhu) March 19, 2019
Good to see the board getting their excuses out in public early doors
— joe docle (@DocleJoe) March 19, 2019
Theees a surprise… This close season was always going to be as important to the fans as last Summer. If they don’t realise that, they are fools with short memories.
— Jamie (@Jamieonthisday) March 19, 2019