Diafra Sakho nearly refused to take his place on the bench during West Ham’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the EFL Cup quarter-finals after a row with manager David Moyes, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper claim that Sakho’s contract, signed in the summer after a move to West Bromwich Albion fell through, contains a lucrative clause which rewards him with a £50,000 bonus every time he starts in the league.
This bonus would amount to a stunning doubling of his weekly pay, but Sakho has not made one league start this season, with his only appearances coming from the bench or in the EFL Cup.
The Mail report that striker Sakho, 27, had expected to start the clash before he confronted Moyes about his lack of game time in the Premier League.
A substitute appearance is reportedly worth £25,000, and the Senegal international does not receive a bonus for cup competitions.
Sakho believes his lack of starts is down to this contract clause, but the club have denied that being the case.
After confronting Moyes on Tuesday, the Mail claim Sakho refused to play and wanted to go home, but Moyes eventually convinced him to take his place on the bench.
The striker was brought on as a 65th minute substitute as the Hammers fell at the quarter-final stage.
Sakho reportedly wants to leave the club in January, but suitors have been put off by the club’s £15million valuation.
OPINION
As much as the club try to deny this contract clause being the reason behind Sakho’s lack of league starts, it is quite obviously the case. Sakho has appeared in all but four of the Hammers’ Premier League matches, two of those absences being through injury, and yet has not made one start. At times he has looked more effective than their other striking options, with Chicharito, Andy Carroll and Andre Ayew failing to impress so far this term. Michail Antonio, who is not a natural striker, has even been preferred to Sakho up front. With the club remaining in relegation danger, it seems a bit naive to deny a genuine goalscorer the chance to play because of a contract clause which the club itself agreed upon in the summer. At this point, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sakho on his way in January, with Cardiff reportedly interested in the Senegal international.