Graham Potter is dicing with danger at West Ham after a board leak exposed his controversial plan to strike a deal with Everton.
The revelation has triggered a backlash among many Hammers fans and has divided Everton supporters too.
Graham Potter is already feeling the heat at West Ham and now he could be playing with fire.
With David Moyes at the Toffees helm, it was somewhat inevitable his club would be linked with a number of West Ham targets this summer.
Just as inevitable as the Scot going to his former club for signings – most notably Tomas Soucek.
Board leaks controversial West Ham plan to do Everton deal
In a Hammers News exclusive recently, football correspondent Graeme Bailey confirmed West Ham are open to selling Soucek with Everton, Leeds and a number of other Premier League sides interested.
It was stated that Potter wants to completely reinvent his midfield.
And with West Ham needing money due to PSR, the Englishman is willing to sacrifice the towering Czech – who had recently been frozen out of the starting XI for the first time in his Hammers career.
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The potential sale of fan favourite Soucek caused uproar among a section of Hammers fans.
Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
As a result they were quickly played down and even denied by a number of sites connected to the club.
Yet now, one of those sites, which has connections to majority owner David Sullivan, has delivered an update proving a reunion between Moyes and Soucek at Everton’s new stadium is very much on the table.
Potter is now dicing with danger as the board leaks his controversial West Ham plan to do a possible Everton deal over Soucek.
Claret and Hugh was one of the sites to deny Hammers News’ exclusive that Potter had told the board he wants to sell Soucek amid interest from Everton and others.
Now West Ham board source admits Potter is open to Soucek sale
But in a major U-turn, the site has now reaffirmed Bailey’s revelation – stating their top source has told them West Ham’s hierarchy and the manager are ‘slightly at odds over the future of Soucek’.
By way of the fact Potter is happy to move the £15m signing from Slavia Prague on, stating – as Bailey had revealed – that Everton and then Leeds are the frontrunners.
The prospect of signing Soucek has divided opinion at Everton, where some supporters are concerned about the style of play that may develop.
Soucek broke his silence on the links with Everton last week.
The four-time and reigning Czech footballer of the year stated he wants to stay at West Ham for the rest of his career.
Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images
But it seems Potter is very much planning to move him on as he looks to completely change the way the Hammers play having failed miserably to turn the team around in his four months at the club.
West Ham have won just four of Potter’s 18 games, enabling Moyes’s Everton and Wolves to close big gaps and overhaul them in the table – costing the club around £7-10m in merit payments.
Moving Soucek on is either brave or stupid of Potter.
He may argue it is a necessary evil if West Ham want to evolve with a young, hungry and ultimately more dynamic side.
Potter dicing with danger with controversial Soucek plan
But the 50-year-old is already under intense pressure heading into next season.
And for all the debate over Soucek – in both West Ham and Everton circles – he is one of the most consistent, effective, hard-working, selfless and professional players in the Premier League.
Without Soucek’s nine goals this season – and the plethora he has helped stop at the other end – the Hammers could have been in a world of trouble.
But he is also over 30 now and if Everton are willing to offer West Ham the chance of turning a profit after five-and-a-half years of stellar service, that will prove tempting given the financial situation.
When all is said and done, though, Potter is struggling to win over many Hammers fans.
So if Soucek goes to Everton and hits it off with Moyes at their impressive new stadium – and West Ham struggle – the knives could be out for Potter and the owners.