West Ham owner David Sullivan’s ongoing relationship with his favoured agent Will Salthouse has become something of a sore subject at the London Stadium. On occasion, the Unique Sports Group boss can be seen in the directors’ box alongside the Hammers hierarchy and is known to be a close family friend of the Sullivans.
Recently, Salthouse attracted plenty of negative attention following the signing of Callum Wilson. The injury-prone striker appeared to have arrived in East London more because of who his agent was than any footballing logic. When the Fans’ Advisory Board delivered its letter of no confidence to the club, the message from supporters was crystal clear — no more favoured agents.
david Sullivan sits next to agent Will Salthouse at The London Stadium
Will Salthouse oversaw Wilson transfer to West Ham
Most Read on West Ham News
Mendes Connection Could Complicate Nuno’s Recruitment
However, West Ham now find themselves in a bit of a pickle. Sitting in the bottom three of the Premier League, the club is hardly an attractive destination for new players. With no director of football or head of recruitment in place, the Hammers are instead relying on Nuno Espirito Santo to take a hands-on role in player dealings.
Unfortunately, there’s one issue — Nuno also has a favoured agent of his own: Jorge Mendes.
It’s no secret that Nuno’s time at Wolves and Nottingham Forest was heavily influenced by Mendes, whose involvement in transfer negotiations and managerial deals is well documented. That said, Mendes’s client list reads like a who’s who of world football — and he gets deals done.
So, as West Ham prepare for what could be a make-or-break January window, the club might need to swallow its principles. Signing players will already be difficult enough given the league position — and if working with one of football’s biggest power brokers helps get quality through the door, using a “favoured agent” might be more help than hindrance this time.