West Ham’s deal to sign Carlos Bacca from AC Milan took a step in the right direction this week after the two clubs agreed a fee, according to reputable Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.
The Hammers will pay Milan €27m (£23m) up front for Bacca, with an additional €3m (£2.6m) in performance-based bonuses, bringing the total for the deal to €30m (£25.6m) which meets the player’s release clause.
The 29-year-old striker and his representatives are due to meet with West Ham early next week to discuss personal terms before completing a move to East London.
Bacca is prepared to turn down interest from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain to complete a move to the lucrative Premier League, while La Liga giants Atletico Madrid are also keen.
The Colombia international striker has informed the Hammers that he wishes to earn a similar wage to that of Dimitri Payet, who put pen-to-paper on a new five-year deal earlier in 2016 worth a reported £125,000-a-week.
Payet’s weekly wage is heavily clause-based. He earns a basic salary of £68,000-a-week, with an additional £30,000 for every appearance he makes, plus £25,000 for every goal. This, in conjunction with a £1m signing-on fee he received brings his possible max earning to around £125,000-a-week – the highest at the club.
The Hammers have made an initial offer of €4m-a-year after tax, plus performance-based bonuses, which equates to £65,000-a-week plus bonuses. It’s yet to be revealed how much the bonuses are worth or what they’re predicated on.
West Ham are growing increasingly confident of completing a deal for Bacca in the coming weeks in a deal which would make him the club’s record-signing
Should the unthinkable happen and West Ham fail to sign Carlos Bacca this summer, we have picked out five high-quality alternatives the Hammers could turn to.
