Liverpool and West Ham fans will be furious about David Sullivan’s actions on transfer deadline day after fresh revelations from a leading journalist.
While the Hammers struggled to perform the overhaul Graham Potter had wanted and promised, Liverpool are widely regarded to have won the summer transfer window.
West Ham fans know that particular title counts for little having been crowned the winners of last summer’s window following a £155m splurge on nine signings.
That came at a cost this summer as West Ham had to cut their cloth due to PSR.
While the Irons were out splashing the cash last summer, Liverpool spent just £12.5m on Federico Chiesa as Arne Slot chose to give the squad he inherited a chance to impress.
They did just that, rampaging to the title in the Dutchman’s first season while big-spending West Ham struggled badly, sacked their manager and technical director and finished 14th.
Transfer window tables turned for West Ham and Liverpool
Heading into this new season, the tables turned dramatically when it comes to Liverpool and the Hammers.
West Ham had to sell the likes of Mohammed Kudus to bitter rivals Spurs and release a host of players to raise funds for signings and slash their wage bill.
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Meanwhile the Reds have embarked on one of the most breath-taking windows in Premier League history.
The likes of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez arrived at Anfield.
West Ham’s place in the football food chain right now was highlighted by the fact Potter had to wait until the last week of the window to get two of his top targets, Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa.
The icing on the cake for Liverpool came on deadline day with the arrival of Aleksander Isak after months of speculation.
Slot, Potter and West Ham’s head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay wanted more heading into deadline day, though.
West Ham head coach Graham Potter embraces Liverpool boss Arne Slot
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
And that’s where the two clubs became intertwined – to the detriment of Slot’s plan to add a cherry to the icing on his Reds cake.
Now Liverpool will fume at a new revelation about West Ham chief David Sullivan and his actions on deadline day.
West Ham were being heavily linked with a deadline day push to sign a new goalkeeper, centre-back, another midfielder and a forward on deadline day.
Sullivan has been lambasted by Hammers fans – many of whom are planning to protest against his ownership – after Brighton defender Igor Julio was the only arrival, on a straight loan.
Liverpool will fume at new revelation about West Ham chief Sullivan
It has been widely reported that West Ham cost Slot and Liverpool the signing of Marc Guehi on deadline day.
Palace defender Guehi, who is out of contract in the summer, was the final piece in Slot’s Liverpool jigsaw.
He was all set to sign for the Reds and had even done his farewell video.
Palace were only happy to let him go on the basis they were signing Igor from rivals Brighton.
But West Ham swooped to sign Igor instead, with the Brazilian leaving his Palace medical to head to east London in a shock late twist.
Now journalist Alan Nixon has revealed the real reason for that surprising move and Liverpool will be just as furious with Sullivan as West Ham fans.
West Ham majority owner David Sullivan spotted watching the women's team in the FA Cup semi-final in 2019.
Photo by James Chance/Getty Images
Journalist reveals real reason West Ham collapsed Liverpool’s Guehi move
Because according to Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Sullivan cost West Ham two deadline day deals for Potter’s prime centre-back targets with farcical offers.
As a result, a last ditch move for Igor was launched, thus scuppering Guehi’s move to Anfield.
Liverpool will be just as incredulous as the Hammers about the unbelievable offers Nixon claims Sullivan made.
It was well known that Potter’s top two centre-back targets to replace Nayef Aguerd were Toulouse’s Charlie Cresswell and Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Both were said to be relatively cheap and straightforward deals to do by modern standards.
But West Ham collapsed Liverpool’s Guehi move because Sullivan insisted on only making loan with option offers for Cresswell and Harwood-Bellis.
Nixon claims the under-fire Hammers chief only offered “rental fees” for England Under 21 ace Cresswell and senior Three Lions international Harwood-Bellis.
While the loan payments were sizeable in both cases, neither club was willing to do the deal.
But when told that, Sullivan refused to change his stance and insisted on loans with options totalling £16 million for ex Leeds defender Cresswell and £20m for Harwood-Bellis, which included a £2.5 million loan fee.
Both offers were made with the caveat that each player must play a set number of games and the Hammers stay in the Premier League.
West Ham supporters will undoubtedly be livid at the new revelation and so will Liverpool.