Graham Potter has given a surprising answer when asked whether he has the backing of West Ham chief David Sullivan amid controversy over the club’s transfer activity.
The head coach addressed the question head-on, offering insight into his relationship with the West Ham hierarchy as the new Premier League season looms large.
There have been suggestions that all may not be well in West Ham’s recruitment setup this summer transfer window.
As part of Graham Potter accepting the Hammers job back in January, West Ham chief David Sullivan had to agree to reunite him with Kyle Macaulay, who was still working at Chelsea.
The Hammers sacked technical director Tim Steidten and paid Chelsea £1.2m to bring Macaulay across from west to east London as West Ham’s new head of recruitment.
West Ham’s recruitment goes from young and bold to old
It has been widely reported that Macaulay arrived with a detailed dossier of targets for West Ham’s rebuild under Potter this summer.
But of West Ham’s three signings thus far, only one has really fit Potter’s stated recruitment policy to sign young, dynamic talents with potential future resale value.
El Hadji Malick Diouf was identified by Potter and Macaulay and West Ham paid an initial £19m to bring the flying Senegal left-back in from Slavia Prague.
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While it was seen as a savvy signing, 28-year-old Kyle Walker-Peters has joined West Ham on a free transfer.
It was the arrival of ageing and injury-prone striker Callum Wilson that really set Hammers fans on the warpath against Sullivan, though.
Graham Potter on the pitch with his West Ham players after the pre-season friendly win over Bournemouth in the USA
Photo by Kevin C. Cox – Premier League/Getty Images for Premier League
Potter brought the curtain down on last season by promising an “exciting and interesting” summer window.
He also declared West Ham’s ambition was one of the factors which saw him return to football after nearly two years out of the game following his sacking by Chelsea.
When the window rolled around, though, West Ham declared there was no money for transfers, insisting they must sell to buy.
Leading star Mohammed Kudus was controversially sold to Spurs for £54.5m.
Potter gives answer on whether Sullivan backs him
Diouf was signed once Kudus was sold but the next two deals have been free agents.
After what was pledged to fans ahead of the summer, the backlash to the arrival of West Ham bogeyman Wilson, who turns 34 next season and has missed the equivalent of three full 38-game campaigns in the last five years, is understandable.
Many believe Sullivan, who has reprised his role as West Ham’s de facto director of football following Steidten’s departure, is not pushing to sign Potter and Macaulay’s targets through a lack of trust and refusal to pay the prices being asked.
Fanning the flames of fan discontent further, West Ham appeared to pivot from moves for exciting young goalkeepers Mads Hermansen and Zion Suzuki to arrange a deal for 29-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper John Victor instead – at half the price.
Potter warned Sullivan West Ham’s recruitment must be aligned heading into a crucial summer rebuild.
He also stated he would “ideally” have new signings earlier in the window so he can work with them in pre-season.
Rumours that all may not be well between Potter, Macaulay and the Hammers board over transfers have abound of late.
West Ham United FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League
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West Ham insisted they have not told Potter to lower his ambitions.
After declaring Steidten would not be replaced, West Ham’s board stated Sullivan feels he is a better judge of players than the likes of the sacked German and former recruitment chiefs Rob Newman and Mario Husillos.
With Sullivan accused of taking the wheel again on transfers, Potter has been labelled as a ‘yes man’ for the board.
Especially since ex Hammers boss David Moyes publicly shamed Everton’s owners into transfer action last week.
The Friedkin Group have responded by signing West Ham target Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in a £25m deal.
West Ham’s window needs to be judged on what it looks like come September 1st.
But whatever your take on the situation, it seems the goalposts may have moved for Potter on transfers given some of his comments since taking over in east London.
Now Potter has given a surprise answer on whether West Ham chief Sullivan backs him.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s final pre-season friendly against Lille, Potter was asked if he is happy with the backing he has had in the transfer market so far after just three arrivals.
Potter ‘happy’ with Sullivan transfer backing at West Ham
And Potter will do little to change the minds of those who believe he is a yes man with his answer.
Because he says he is happy to work within the restrictions the club faces.
“Yes, I don’t see it in those ways, to be honest – I don’t see it as backing me or not, it’s about what’s right for the club, the parameters that the club have to work in,” Potter told BBC Sport.
“I’m really happy with what we’ve done already.
“We’ll always look to improve the team while the window’s open, and if there’s an opportunity to do that, we will.”
In an exclusive transfer update with Hammers News on Tuesday, West Ham responded to pleas from Potter for new signings.
Their message was an intriguing and exciting one: “We have lots of balls in the air.”
Hammers News understands Jacob Ramsey, Hermansen, Victor and others are among those “balls in the air”