Bilic headache as dressing room rift threatens to engulf West Ham - report

By Danny Wright

The January purchases of Robert Snodgrass and Jose Fonte have caused a rift in the West Ham dressing room, according to a report.

The Mirror claims that Slaven Bilic will receive a number of contract demands from his unhappy squad.

Fonte is earning £65,000-a-week at the London Stadium following his move from Southampton while Snodgrass is picking up around £60,000 - and it's led to a number of their teammates questioning the deals they're currently on.

Andy Carroll is the club's top earner but long-serving duo Mark Noble and Winston Reid are believed to be two of the players whose wages don't match up to that of Fonte and Snodgrass.

Michail Antonio is also reportedly vying for a new deal as he has arguably been the club's top performer this season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 26 league games.

The Mirror reports that Chelsea are eying the 27-year-old, who has recently been ruled out for the rest of the campaign.

West Ham are currently 14th in the Premier League table after easing away from a potential relegation battle following their 1-0 win against Swansea last week.

According to the Sun, Bilic has been told that he will be relieved of his duties at the east London club if he fails to secure a top-half finish.

Football Insider Verdict

It's understandable that some of West Ham's more loyal squad members might feel aggrieved by the wages that Fonte and Snodgrass are on. The two January signings have been underwhelming since joining the club and they are yet to show their worth in a number of games - especially Fonte, who at 33-years-of-age is the club's second highest earner. This report could offer an insight as to why the club's form has been so poor since the winter transfer window closed. Seven games without a win between February and April could have been down to this dressing room rift, and Bilic has a big task on his hands to try and manage this.

In other West Ham news, Danny Murphy has said what is precious for the club ahead of their clash with Sunderland.

We’ve launched a << BREAKING NEWS FEED>> exclusively for your club. ‘Like Us’ on Facebook by clicking here if you want 24/7 updates on all West Ham breaking news.