West Ham wouldn’t have to pay Everton any percentage of a potential transfer fee should the Hammers sign former Toffees defender Antonee Robinson for a reported £1.5million fee, according to our colleagues at the Liverpool Echo.
Everton sold the left back, who has been scouted by Hammers boss David Moyes, to the Latics for £2million and inserted a 20% sell on clause for any future deals should Robinson have left the DW Stadium.
Wigan’s relegation from the Championship was confirmed on Wednesday after they failed to overturn a 12-point deduction from the EFL after plunging into administration last month and a fire sale of their players is underway.
Spurs have already signed talented teenager Alfie Devine from the Latics as the administrators have started to sell. Other youngsters Jason Weir and Joe Williams are also set to leave the DW, as is Joe Gelhardt who is closing in on a move to Leeds United.
It is believed that Robinson could be sold for as little as £1.5million this summer after Wigan’s relegation was confirmed but Everton would only get their 20% of the fee if he was sold for more than what he left Goodison Park for in 2019.
The Blues looked set to receive around £1.2million in January when Robinson was on the verge of a £6million move to AC Milan, rising to £10million over the course of the contract, but the move was halted after Robinson failed a medical.
Robinson has since undergone a procedure to correct an irregular heart rhythm and he finished the season with Wigan in fine form, leading to Moyes taking notice and watching him during Wigan’s 2-2 draw with Charlton Athletic at The Valley last month.
Robinson started his footballing career with Everton, joining their academy setup at the age of 11 and working his way through the ranks all the way to the under-23s, signing his first pro deal with the Toffees at the end of the 2014/15 season.
Despite an injury-plagued couple of years, the left back penned a new two-year contract extension in 2017 before joining Bolton Wanderers on loan at the start of the 2017/18 campaign as he made his first steps into senior football.
He quickly established himself as the first choice left back that season and extended his initial six-month loan until the end of that season, going to make 30 appearances for Wanderers.
Another loan spell followed with Wigan in the 2018/19 season before that switch was made permanent at the end of the season, for a fee believed to be around £2million as Robinson penned a three-year deal at the DW Stadium.
Paul Cook’s Wigan outfit finished the season in 13th place after an excellent second half of the season but their 12-point deduction handed to them plunged the Latics into the relegation zone and they dropped
Moyes wants to strengthen a defence that conceded 62 goals last season in the Premier League and has been linked with a number of full backs and centre halves since the end of the 2019/20 season.
The Hammers boss is also keen on QPR attacker Eberechi Eze but faces stern competition from Crystal Palace for his signature and the Eagles have already seen a tentative £12million offer rejected by Rangers, who are looking for closer to £16million for their prized asset.
