News yesterday that a former top West Ham transfer target is apparently packing his bags and is off to Turkey came as slightly puzzling, seeing as how West Ham bid for him last year and were apparently counting down the months until his Southampton contract ran out. The versatile defender in question would have been available on a Bosman deal which would have involved no transfer fee but a ‘signing on fee’ for the player of far less than the £20 million-plus demanded 12 months ago.
The report in various outlets – tribalfootball.com and others yesterday – detailed Kyle Walker-Peters forthcoming move to Besiktas and the ‘medical already being booked’: Was this a case of another Hammers target eschewing east London or were West Ham merely outbid or worse, slow off the mark again.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Turkish side have an appeal, granted. But surely a move to stay within the Premier League would have been a bigger attraction for one of the better defenders in Southampton’s relegated side of last season?.
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Claret and Hugh’s transfer source, close to the club, confirmed something different.
Whilst Walker-Peters had been a target twelve months ago the shift in policy this summer could not be clearer. Graham Potter decided against pursuing Walker-Peters even though others in the hierarchy thought for no money he was a decent option.
So it was West Ham’s decision, not the player’s.
The Hammers head coach may have had the final say on Kyle Walker-Peters but he’ll also have to deal with the fall-out if he can’t get a better player through the doors in his stead: Rumours linking right back Arnau Martinez made well be evidence of Potter’s choice in place of Walker Peters.
The news today that El Hadji Malick Diouf is on his way for a West Ham medical prior to joining the club shows that Graham Potter is 100% set on bringing his own men into the club.