It has been revealed that Kieron Dyer and Freddie Ljungberg's combined total of 32 games for West Ham has cost the club £34m.
Financial director Nick Igoe has branded the Hammers; spending over the last three years 'ill-judged' after figures were released which show the club spent 80 per cent of their annual turnover on wages, 20 per cent more than the average in the Premier League under the Icelandic regime.
On top of the massive total for Dyer and Ljungberg, the decision to hand Dean Ashton a new contract back in December 2008 cost the club a payout of £5.81m when he retired.
Igoe said: "Many of the group's investment decisions in the last two to three seasons have been ill-judged.
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No football club can sustain this level of expenditure on under performing members of its squad.
"It must be concluded that the investment in the playing squad has not generated an appropriate return, either financially or in terms of performance.
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Two players who signed in the summer 2007 transfer window, one of whom has since left the club, have started a combined total of 32 games and will have cost the group £34m over the term of their contracts.
"No club can sustain this level of expenditure on underperforming members of its squad."