Winston Reid will return to West Ham United with Sporting Kansas City deciding against signing the veteran defender on a permanent basis, coach Peter Vernes has told The Kansas City Star.
You would imagine this decision will come as a major disappointment to the New Zealand international.
Speaking to Sporting KC’s website in September, Reid admitted he was loving life across the Pond, relishing the opportunity to play regular football again after a number of injury-ravaged years in England.
But, with his loan spell due to come to an end on 31 December, the former Midtjylland stopper looks set to pack his bags and head back across the Atlantic.
“The Winston Reid situation, we didn’t exercise the (purchase) option for a very specific reason,” Vernes explains.
The Sporting KC coach did admit, however, Reid could return to Children’s Mercy Park if another short-term deal can be agreed with the 32-year-old’s parent club.
“We will try to continue to have some type of discussions with West Ham and see if it’s feasible to still bring the player back,” Vermes adds.
“I can’t tell you that it will happen, I can’t tell you that it’s 100%, I can’t even tell you a percentage at this moment.”
Sporting KC’s season came to an end when they were thumped 3-0 by Minnesota United in the MLS Cup quarter-final two weeks ago.
The Kansas City Star, meanwhile, believes Reid’s prohibitive £70,000-a-week contract was a factor in Sporting’s decision not to exercise their purchase option.
Sporting were paying just 15 per cent of his wages (around £10,000 a week) during that loan spell.
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