AHEAD OF THE GAME: West Ham put the brakes on David Moyes contract talks as club income continues to be hit by Covid... while the FA snubs Aston Villa's bid to host Champions League final

  • David Moyes has just one year left on his current West Ham United contract   
  • Hammers chiefs are waiting to see the income situation before talks continue
  • The FA are yet to endorse Aston Villa's offer to host the Champions League final

West Ham’s contract talks with David Moyes have been delayed amid concern about the ongoing financial impact of the pandemic.

Co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold are eager to tie the manager down and began negotiations at the start of the year, but may wait until they have more clarity on the number of fans they will be able to host at the London Stadium next season before finalising a new long-term contract.

West Ham recorded losses of £65million for the year ending May 2020 due to diminished broadcast income and will take an even bigger hit when their accounts for this season are finalised, as they have brought in barely any ticket revenue for 15 months. 

David Moyes will have to wait for a new contract at West Ham due to the club's finances

David Moyes will have to wait for a new contract at West Ham due to the club's finances

Hammers chiefs David Sullivan and David Gold are waiting to see if fans are allowed next term

Hammers chiefs David Sullivan and David Gold are waiting to see if fans are allowed next term

The club have moved to stabilise their finances by taking out a £120m loan from MSD Capital which they will be able to repay when fans return in full, but in the meantime have opted to limit their outgoings. 


Moyes is eager to sign a new deal, but is understanding of the club’s financial plight and in no great rush, as a 12-month extension to the 18-month deal he signed on returning to West Ham in 2019 has already been triggered. 

The Scot will be offered another performance-based deal for two years plus an option to extend for a further 12 months if he meets certain targets in the 2022-23 season. 

The Premier League are hoping that full capacity crowds will be permitted next campaign, but have yet to receive any guarantees from the Government.

 

Troy Deeney is unhappy at being passed over for the role of vice chair of the PFA despite finishing second in a vote of the new players’ board.

The Watford captain received just one fewer vote than Oxford defender John Mousinho — who won the ballot to be elected PFA chair — and was expecting to be named as his deputy. 

Troy Deeney is annoyed that John Mousinho did not pick him for the PFA vice-chair role

Troy Deeney is annoyed that John Mousinho did not pick him for the PFA vice-chair role

However, the players’ board held a separate election to pick the vice chair, which was won by Coventry’s Peter Vincenti. 

Deeney was one of three defeated candidates. Mousinho and Vincenti will have crucial roles in the new-look PFA, with both sitting on the newly formed operational board alongside incoming chief executive Maheta Molango.

 

FA SNUB VILLA BID TO HOST FINAL 

The FA have yet to endorse Aston Villa’s offer to host the Champions League final amid concern about alienating allies at UEFA, who have made it clear that they will only seek an alternative venue as a last resort.

The Turkish Government have also pushed back hard against any notion that the Ataturk Stadium could be stripped of the final after they lost staging rights last year when Bayern Munich’s meeting with Paris Saint-Germain was moved to Lisbon.

Villa’s willingness to help out Chelsea and Manchester City is intriguing, as chief executive Christian Purslow was one of the strongest critics of their actions in seeking to form the breakaway European Super League.

The FA have turned down Christian Purslow's offer of Villa Park for the Champions League final

The FA have turned down Christian Purslow's offer of Villa Park for the Champions League final

 

Gareth Barry could still be charged by the FA with breaking club ownership rules after the governing body applied to the High Court for access to the full statement the former England midfielder gave them about his involvement in the secret purchase of a 50 per cent stake in Swindon Town.

The FA have already brought disciplinary charges against Barry’s agent, Michael Standing, and Swindon chairman Lee Power, who are also involved in a court battle over alleged illicit payments totalling more than £6m.

Power claimed in his evidence to the High Court that Barry was behind the funding but Standing insists that the 40-year-old only lent him the money.

The FA’s legal team want to examine Barry’s evidence in full before deciding whether to bring disciplinary charges against him.