“West Ham’s £17M Star Faces SHOCKING Exit Unless He SLASHES His INSANE £65K-a-Week Wages in HALF!”

Maxwel Cornet’s move to West Ham United has been far from smooth sailing. Signed for £17 million from Burnley in the summer of 2022, the Ivorian winger arrived with high expectations following an impressive spell at Turf Moor.

However, very little has gone as planned for the former Lyon star.

Early into his West Ham tenure, Cornet thought he’d scored a dramatic equaliser against Chelsea, only for the goal to be controversially ruled out due to a supposed foul by Jarrod Bowen on Edouard Mendy.

That moment, contentious as it was, seemed to set the tone for what has since been an injury-plagued and frustrating spell in East London.

Since then, Cornet’s time at the London Stadium has been riddled with setbacks. Injuries have continually disrupted his progress, most notably a persistent calf problem that’s sidelined him for long periods.

In total, the 28-year-old has missed over 40 matches for both club and country and has started just six league games since that initial injury.

A short-term loan spell at relegated Southampton was cut short when the club terminated the deal mid-season.

That forced West Ham to arrange another temporary move, this time to Serie A side Genoa, where Cornet initially impressed with two goals and an assist in his first six appearances.

Unfortunately, another injury struck in March after he scored in a 1-1 draw against Cagliari, sidelining him once again.

Despite this, Genoa remain keen to secure Cornet on a permanent deal.

According to Italian outlet Il Secolo XIX, the club is willing to make the move official, provided Cornet agrees to a reduced salary. The winger currently earns £65,000 per week — a figure Genoa are unwilling to match.

Cornet, for his part, is reportedly open to staying in Italy.

Head coach Patrick Vieira has spoken positively about the former Burnley man, expressing admiration for his attitude and ambition.

“He came here wanting to help the team,” Vieira said in January. “He misses being on the pitch. He’s ambitious and wants to return to the national team.

To do that, he knows he must perform well here. He has the hunger and desire.”

From West Ham’s perspective, any transfer fee Genoa are willing to pay will likely be modest.

It’s unlikely the Hammers will recover even half of the £17 million they initially spent on Cornet. Still, offloading his wages would ease their financial burden.

Meanwhile, West Ham are set for further squad changes. The club has confirmed the departures of Vladimir Coufal, Lukasz Fabianski, Aaron Cresswell, and Danny Ings once their contracts expire.

Michail Antonio’s future also hangs in the balance, with no new deal yet on the table.

In addition, Guido Rodriguez is in discussions to rejoin River Plate in Argentina.

Players like Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, and Emerson Palmieri may also be moved on, while Everton and Leeds United have reportedly held talks over a potential deal for Tomas Soucek.