West Ham complete 'momentous' transfer as non-league side bank RECORD fee

Tom Weber

Updated: 6 Jul 2024 16:24 BST
3 min read

Julen Lopetegui, Max Kilman, Tim Steidten, West Ham — © IMAGO

West Ham have signed Max Kilman for an eye-watering €47.5 million, but his former club Wolves aren't the only side who will benefit from this deal.

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The Hammers finally have their man. After several weeks of talks and some rejected bids, West Ham have at last completed the signing of Wolves captain Kilman.

The 27-year-old centre-back joins the club off the back of some impressive performances in recent seasons, which even saw him tentatively linked with Man Utd this summer.

Strongly wanted by his former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui, Kilman will ply his trade in east London next term after sealing his €47.5m transfer. Kilman's cash-strapped ex-club had to sell their captain to give them some financial wiggle room, but Wolves are not the only side who will stand to benefit from this deal.

Maidenhead bank record fee

When Wolves signed Kilman from Maidenhead in 2018, the non-league side presciently included a 10 per cent sell-on clause in his deal and they are now reaping the benefits six years later.

Maidenhead have thus banked €4.75m from Kilman's move to West Ham, which is thought to be a record fee received by a non-league side. Club chairman Peter Griffin even published an official statement hailing the occasion of the transfer as a 'momentous day' for Maidenhead.

"This is a fantastic outcome for the 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," the statement read.

"This is testament to the hard work of Alan Devonshire and his coaching team past and present, as well as our Academy programme which every year is developing players who move into our first team squad."

"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."

Speaking to West Ham club media following his transfer, Kilman said of his unusual career path: "Of course, my journey has been very different to most other footballers."

"I was a non-league player, played futsal, so my route is very unique, but it's part of me and it has kind of helped shape me into being the player I am today. It's a more humbling journey, I had to work my way up the ladder, the pyramid in football...and it's made me mentally tougher."