Ferdinand to Leave Today

It is being widely reported that Anton Ferdinand's move to Sunderland will be announced today. The move is also widely being reported as a sign of Alan Curbishley's troubles at West Ham, as his squad seems to be being dismantled without his consent.

Ferdinand's departure seems to have been forced on the club after the defender refused the terms of a new contract by the club. Ferdinand was reportedly one of the lowest paid members of the first team squad, so it would be interesting to know how much the club was offering him.

West Ham have been keen to suggest that Ferdinand's sale is 'good business' as he only has two years left on his present contract. If that is the reason for Ferdinand's sale then presumably the club will have £6-8 million to reinvest in other players and presumably will have earmarked a replacement. If the club don't complete any more purchases by the close of the transfer window on Monday I suspect Ferdinand's sale will be seen as asset stripping and I think the board will be in for a very rough ride from some already seriously disgruntled fans.