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Rob Hall may not be a favourite with Bolton Wanderers fans, but he has been on good form for our relegation rivals and tomorrow's opponents MK Dons this season. You could certainly argue that he would be a useful player to bolster Wanderers' attacking options, and an alternative to Liam Feeney.
However, whether Hall is good or not is irrelevant given the financial deal Wanderers were forced into by a tribunal following his move to the club from West Ham United.
The finances that Bolton were demanded to pay to West Ham are staggering, especially considering our current financial plight:
- Initial transfer fee of £450,000
- £250,000 if Bolton were to be promoted to the Premier League within three seasons (which clearly isn't happening)
- £2,500 per appearance for the first 100 appearances Hall makes for Bolton in the Championship (total of £250,000 if he made 100 appearances)
- OR £10,000 per appearance for the first 100 appearances Hall makes for Bolton if in the Premier League (£1 million if he made 100 appearances)
- 20% of any profit made in selling the player to another club at any point in the future
So, hypothetically speaking, if Bolton were to have kept Hall and gained promotion to the Premier League he could have cost us nearly £2 million. Although obviously with the rise in television money this would have become more affordable.
But as it is, we're not getting promoted and the finances of this deal meant Wanderers simply could not afford to keep hold of Hall this season. Had we played him in all 27 league games this season - which Liam Feeney has done - he would have cost us a princely £67,500, on top of his wages.
Hall has already cost Bolton an additional £77,500 on top of his transfer fee, having played 31 league games for the club before being loaned out to MK Dons - taking the total Bolton have paid West Ham to £525,500.
He is still only 22-years-old and it's clear he has the potential to be a decent player, but unfortunately he won't be realising it at our club thanks to the financial deal enforced on the club.