National League side Maidenhead United inserted a sell-on clause when they sold Max Kilman to Wolverhampton Wanderers for just £40,000. It was a stroke of genius.
Kilman, who joined Wolves from fifth-tier Maidenhead on transfer deadline day in 2018, was announced as West Ham's third summer signing on Saturday after a £40 million fee was agreed.
The 27-year-old defender was one of just two outfield players to feature in every single minute of Premier League football for their clubs last season.
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And clearly his performances made an impression on those behind the scenes at West Ham, who have offered the former England futsal international a seven-year contract.
“I really enjoyed working with Julen during his time at Wolves – he’s a top-class coach and someone I learned a lot from, and I am confident I will continue to improve as a player under his management here," Kilman told West Ham's official website.
“Having spoken at length to both Julen and Tim [Steidten, technical director], I was hugely encouraged about the ambition of the club and their plans for the future. They want to make a big noise here at West Ham and as a new player coming in, that’s an incredible thing to hear."
As a result of the £40 million sale, Non-League side Maidenhead have earned £4 million from Kilman's move after they inserted a 10 per cent sell-on clause in the 2018 deal.
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Kilman, who played futsal for England and London Helvetica after being released by Fulham’s academy, went on to play non-league football for Welling United from 2014 to 2015, before making the switch to Maidenhead in 2015.
Maidenhead chairman Peter Griffin has paid tribute to Kilman after his move to West Ham was confirmed, and also provided details about the clause.
"I would like to congratulate former Maidenhead United player, Max Kilman, on completing his transfer from Wolves to West Ham and wish him every success for this exciting next stage of his career," he said in a statement on the club's official website.
"It is no great secret that when we sold Max to Wolves in 2018 a sell on clause was included within the transfer agreement which the club will now benefit from over the coming few years.
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"Over recent days there has been a lot of speculation regarding the sell on clause and the amount of money the club will receive. As you would expect commercial confidentially prohibits me from providing specific details about the sell on clause, however, we were engaged with various parties during the negotiation process for Max’s transfer. We reached a mutually agreeable position that all parties are satisfied with and importantly it is in the best interest of the club.
"Ultimately this is a fantastic outcome for club which will benefit from one of the largest, if not the largest, transfer payments an English non league club has ever received, which is something to celebrate. This is testament to the hard work of Alan Devonshire and his coaching team past and present, as well our Academy programme which every year is developing players which move into our first team squad."
Griffin added: "This is a momentous day for Maidenhead United FC, which gives us the opportunity to profoundly change the future of the club. A supporters meeting will be held in due course to give more details on how the cash injection will be used on and off the pitch."
Topics: Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham, Premier League
Jack Kenmare