Yanks Want Black Friday Deal For Reid!

Now that their elongated domestic season is over, MLS sides have to go through a process which involves naming 'Designated' players, there are strict rules governing the amount of non-US players and clubs have to keep within very tight FFP rules. Sporting KC had acquired West Ham United's Winston Reid on loan for the season, but crucially were only paying 15% of his £70,000 per week wages, with the Irons picking up the rest of the tab.

It now transpires that Sporting KC, despite seeing Reid as a superb player with a significant voice in the dressing room and on the pitch, are unwilling to name Reid as one of their 'Designated' players, partly because they were previously committed to signing Felipe Gutierrez.
In their original press release, Sporting KC indicated they had declined the option on Winston Reid’s contract. However, it’s more complicated than that. His “option” was an option to buy from the loan he was on from West Ham, and while declining that option, SKC Head Coach and Sporting Director Peter Vermes indicated negotiations were ongoing. “We didn’t exercise the option for a very specific reason,” said Vermes. “We’ll continue to try and have some type of discussions with West Ham to see if it’s feasible to bring the player back.”

Even if Reid were made available on a free transfer, there is still the matter of his wages, the Kiwi would have to take a massive pay cut to come back to the MLS. Even if he doesn’t play in England, he’ll get his huge salary to be a squad player or go out on loan elsewhere.
Sporting are trying to get Reid back on a similar basis to last season, but West Ham and David Moyes will surely not countenance that, after all, he was sent out to the MLS to recover from the massive injury that he had sustained when nocked unconscious in the game against Swansea, nearly THREE years ago!

Reid is contracted at the London Stadium until the end of the 2022 season, with the club still paying him £70,000 per week, either they will look to sell him cheaply in order to get his wages off the books, pay off his contract or, what would seem to be the best choice, gradually reintegrate Reid back in to the match day squad, where his leadership qualities ans strength would be a bonus for certain 'demanding' games.

Moyes will definitely run his eye over Reid on his return, and who knows? Reid might just be the centre back Moyes has been looking all over for, some times you can't see the forest for the trees. - Ed