David Sullivan (West Ham co-owner) on Demba Ba

From NUFC.com

Sullivan: "We wanted to loan him, but Hoffenheim said they wouldn’t loan him as they could get €6m for him from Stoke. He then failed the medical at Stoke. I went back and asked to loan him again. Again they said no, but they would sell him to us.

"So we paid €500K down, which was almost like a loan fee, and then we’d pay €5.5m euros starting the next season depending on how many games he played – one level of payment in the Championship, one level of payment on the Premier League.

"I’ll have to make the figures up because I can’t remember, but something like €25K a game in the Premier League and €10K in the Championship.

"Demba Ba signed a three and a half year contract with us. We had a deal where his salary would be halved if we were relegated. He said, 'Well on that basis, I have got to be allowed to walk if we get relegated'.

What we should have said in retrospect – but none of us thought he would score so many goals – is that we’d be happy to give him £40K a week in the Championship.

In the end I offered him £45K a week to stay but he wouldn’t take it. What we should have said was that if we don’t halve your salary, you haven’t got a get-out.

The failure to put that one line in the contract cost us very, very dearly. As I say, he was on £35K a week and I offered him £45K a week to stay, but he went to Newcastle. His agent got £2m to take him to Newcastle.

Dale: "So do Newcastle now have to pay to Hoffenheim the money you would have had to pay?"

Sullivan: "No. That’s why Newcastle could always outbid us. It was our deal with Hoffenheim."

Dale: "So Hoffenheim got stuffed, then."

Sullivan: "Yup, they got half a million for him. This didn’t work for anyone except Demba Ba… and Newcastle. I’m told he’s got a £7m get-out at Newcastle and he gets half the money over that. They keep denying it but I think you’ll see in the summer he will leave Newcastle or he’ll get a monstrous rise to stay there.

"If they get about four million, half will go to him, so if they sell him for £7m they’ll only net about three because they paid his agent £2m to get him out of here. Getting £3m is not bad, but for a player of his quality it’s not fantastic.

"It’s one of those mistakes that happen, but it’s probably one of the worst mistakes I have ever made in my life. It just didn’t enter our heads. it didn’t enter anybody’s head that he’d score enough goals that we’d want to give him £40K a week and his old club £15/20K an appearance and we’d still be relegated. In reality that’s exactly what happened.

"The agent just threw it in at the last minute. He said 'Obviously if his salary is cut by 50% you’ve got to let him walk'. We thought, OK, if we get relegated, do we really want a £40K a week striker in the Championship?

"Well, we would have because he was devastating. If he was with us now and his knee had held up, because remember, he did have a very very bad knee, I think we’d be 15 points clear, I really do. He’d be cutting through those defences. You live and you learn."

Worrying and definitely a cause for concern in the summer.

 

I'm expecting him to leave, just hope he has a bit more respect for us and signs a new contract so we can get a lot more.

 

If he does go it would be shocking, can't believe the greedy fat controller agreed a deal with such a stupid loop hole in it

 

The key words of that bolded part are "I'm told". He, just like Redknapp and everyone else trying to stir **** up, doesn't actually know anything.

 

Jeez Louise, thanks for reminding people of that clause David!

Either

1) He'll get given a new contract in the summer

or

2) He'll have a dry spell (with Cisse picking up the slack) and people will forget about him

 

Unlucky on hoffenheim

 

As I say, he was on £35K a week and I offered him £45K a week to stay, but he went to Newcastle. His agent got £2m to take him to Newcastle.

So his agent made a lot of money forcing the move to Newcastle.
Ba didn't exactly get a pay rise did he, unless he got a decent signing on fee from both West Ham and us. Did he also get a severance fee from Hoffenheim seen as he didn't ask to leave?


I’m told he’s got a £7m get-out at Newcastle and he gets half the money over that. They keep denying it but I think you’ll see in the summer he will leave Newcastle or he’ll get a monstrous rise to stay there.

"If they get about four million, half will go to him, so if they sell him for £7m they’ll only net about three because they paid his agent £2m to get him out of here. Getting £3m is not bad, but for a player of his quality it’s not fantastic."

Figures wise that doesn't make any sense. I read the first bit as we get £7m its all ours, any sale over that he gets 50% of the difference. So we sell him for £10m he gets £1.5M. The second scenario of half of the £7m get out means we make £1.5m because we paid £2m in the first place, where's this net £3m come from?

 

Funny he knows about the release clause put doesn't know what wages he's on.

 

Why is David Sullivan talking about Ba, he doesnt play for WHU, just a media whore just like that Brady tart.

 

The figures he guesses were how much West Ham were going to pay Hoffenheim per game Ba played in up to the 5.5m euro fee.
If they were relegated they could pay lower installments on the transfer fee.
Take longer to pay it back but Hoffenheim always believed they were going to get £6m Euros.
No-one at Hoffenheim factored in what would happen if Ba excercised the release clause he negotiated with West Ham on relegation.
Whilst it has nothing to do with Hoffenheim the terms of the contract between Ba and WHU; it stinks of agent corruption to me.

 

Sounds like he has a chip on his shoulder

 

How would he know what contract we gave Ba, and what clauses there were in it? Its not like we would've told him.

 

Unfortunately nobody from the club has come out and said there is no clause so looks like we may lose him for next to nowt

 

Well if anything tempts Mr Ba to stay with us a bit longer it will be Cisse and European football (if we manage to get a place in either competition). I can definitely see us offering a new contract though, we'll have to see what happens.

 

Ashley won't be too unhappy with the way the Demba Ba situation has developed.
1. He didn't pay a transfer fee in the first place. (With the club policy he would never have paid a massive amount for him)
2. He paid £2 million agents fee. (Probably saw it as a trade off for no transfer fee and what NUFC had seen from Ba at West Ham regarding potential / knee problems)
3. If the clause is £7 million and it's activated, then Ba must have had a great season.
4. If Ba doesn't want or is not offered an improved contract. Ashley makes a minimum £5 million profit. and 50% of anything over the £7 million.
5. Ba will want the transfer fee to be as big as possible so that his share is bigger.
I believe it was a great deal for both parties. Ba needed a club after he failed a medical and WHU had been relegated. Ashley paid very little for him in real terms. If his clause is activated it shows for a relatively small outlay, he's scored goals for us and his knees have held up.
Don't see Ba staying if he continues scoring goals if I'm honest. Many clubs could offer way more money than Ashley's policy will allow. The best we can hope for is a bidding war.

 

Obviously we wouldnt of told him.

Ba's agent would know and word gets around in football, hopefully no one comes in and offers him big money.

 

Anyone seen his twitter? He put something along the lines of 'looks like Sullivan misses me haha

 

"I think we’d be 15 points clear, I really do." **** off. Yes, Demba Ba is one of the best strikers in the Prem, but West Ham are ****. All they ****ing do is dive for penaties.

 

What do you expect with Allardyce as manager. Hasn't Noble got double figures in goals, yet barely scored in open play this year.

 

What will be will be with Demba. It'll be solely down to how we end up this year and of course what offers he has on the table. He has no real alliegence to us so if he went I wouldn't be surprised or suddenly turn on him. That's football. Seems to be enjoying his time with us so hopefully that will have some sway with him and the longer he stays the better. Obviously no one wants to lose him dirt cheap but he will have been a good signing regardless what happens.