Bench warmer at CF Montreal & contract running out, which way Victor Wanyama?

Victor Wanyama during warm up

Bench warmer at CF Montreal & contract running out, which way Victor Wanyama?

Joel Omotto 07:30 - 03.10.2024

Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama is at crossroads as his contract at MLS club CF Montreal enters into its final months at a time when he has turned into a bench warmer.

Former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama has a major decision to make in the next two months as his contract at MLS club CF Montreal comes to end in December.

Wanyama has become a frustrated figure in the last one-and-a-half seasons after he fell down the pecking order, turning him into a bench warmer at the club.

The 33-year-old has managed just 15 appearances across all competitions this season, most of it from the bench, with coach Laurent Courtois preferring other midfielders ahead of him.

Of the 15 appearances, 12 have been in the league where he has started just four of them, with his other starts being three in cup games.

Worryingly for Wanyama, his last league appearance was on July 14 when he started Montreal’s 1-0 win over Atlanta United and followed it up with spells on the bench in five straight matches before he failed to get a place in the matchday squad in the last three games.

That is not a vote of confidence on a player who is in the final months of his contract and it appears Montreal have already made up their mind to let Wanyama leave when his deal runs out.

Wanyama joined the club from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in March 2020 and after three years, he was handed a new two-year deal that runs to the end of the 2024 season.

Montreal have two regular season matches remaining after Thursday’s clash away to Atlanta to know if they will make the playoffs of miss out for a second straight season.

They will need to finish in the top nine to seal a playoff place, making the two games a do or die affair.

Wanyama’s season could end this month, if his club fails to secure the playoff berth, but if they do, he has until December 7 when the final will be played, assuming Courtois’ inconsistent side make it that far.

As the club’s designated player (allowed to be paid beyond the average MLS salary), Wanyama is Montreal’s top earner at $1.8 million (Ksh233 million), which is his annual guaranteed compensation, with his basic salary currently standing at $1.44 million (Ksh186 million).

Montreal are unlikely to continue shelling out the huge sum on a player who sits on the bench, meaning Wanyama must start looking for other options.

With his experience and status, he will not be short of suitors but whether that is in America or somewhere else is something fans will have to wait and see.