![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/premier-league-chief-reveals-offer-to-buy-40m-star-with-own-money-when-club-werent-keen/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/0_GettyImages-1491785003.jpg&description=One of the Premier League's biggest bargain signings of recent years arrived at his club on the cheap after their head of emerging talent offered to foot the bill himself Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs claims he threatened to part with his own money to ensure the club completed a deal for star centre-back Max Kilman. Kilman, 26, is thought to be valued at around £40m and was one of the centre-backs linked with Serie A champions Napoli as they sought a replacement for Kim Min-jae after the defender's summer move to Bayern Munich. Back in 2018, though, he was an untested 21-year-old who had only ever played non-league football. The London-born star made his 100th senior appearance for Wolves last season, and was named club captain over the summer after Ruben Neves' departure. Were it not for Hobbs' intervention, though, he might never have signed for the Premier League club. "I basically had to threaten to buy him with my own money," Hobbs told BBC Radio 5 Live. At the time, the chief was head of emerging talent, but would take over as sporting director several years later. "He [Kilman] came in on trial with the Under-23s at the start of summer. We were trying to get the average age down, we were quite old at the time and Max coming in at 21 wasn't going to help that. "And at £40k, we were never going to lose money. So as far as a business decision it was a simple one. But the age went against him. He came in the first week, we didn't sign him until deadline day and two days before I said 'I'll have to buy him with my own money...you cover his wage and whatever we sell him for, I'll double what you've paid and I'll keep the rest.'" How does Kilman rank among the Premier League's best bargains? Have your say in the comments-section Kilman had been on the radar of Reading and Fulham in his teens, but didn't earn a professional contract with either club. Instead, he spent time in non-league football - predominantly with National League side Maidenhead United - befor){kind=link}
One of the Premier League’s biggest bargain signings of recent years arrived at his club on the cheap after their head of emerging talent offered to foot the bill himself
Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs claims he threatened to part with his own money to ensure the club completed a deal for star centre-back Max Kilman.
Kilman, 26, is thought to be valued at around £40m and was one of the centre-backs linked with Serie A champions Napoli as they sought a replacement for Kim Min-jae after the defender’s summer move to Bayern Munich. Back in 2018, though, he was an untested 21-year-old who had only ever played non-league football.
The London-born star made his 100th senior appearance for Wolves last season, and was named club captain over the summer after Ruben Neves’ departure. Were it not for Hobbs’ intervention, though, he might never have signed for the Premier League club.
“I basically had to threaten to buy him with my own money,” Hobbs told BBC Radio 5 Live. At the time, the chief was head of emerging talent, but would take over as sporting director several years later.