The unexpected twist in West Ham United’s pursuit of John Victor now has some clarity, and it came straight from the goalkeeper’s camp.
According to ESPN Brasil and journalist Venê Casagrande, the deal between West Ham and Botafogo was fully agreed. The two clubs had settled on terms for a €10m transfer, and the offer had already been sent to John’s representatives. Everything was lined up, until the player himself decided to walk away.
Casagrande spoke directly with John’s agent, who explained the thinking behind the last-minute rejection.“The negotiation was done. The clubs reached an agreement. The offer came to us and we evaluated what would be best at the moment. We made a choice: stay. Win. Reach the national team.”
Adding to what we previously covered, the representative also addressed the rumours that the player had gone to the airport before changing his mind.“How do you go to the airport without a ticket or contract signed? It was the usual process. The decision was in our hands.”
The ESPN report adds an extra layer to the story: frustration. John was reportedly set to earn a salary four times higher than his current one in Rio. But West Ham changed the terms midway through the process, slashing the wage offer by half. That move did not go down well.
Despite the deal making perfect sense financially –“€10m for a goalkeeper isn’t something you see every day,” the agent admitted – John ultimately prioritised his ambition to play for Brazil.
Later, John spoke publicly for the first time since the talks collapsed. In a message posted on social media, the goalkeeper confirmed he had received the offer and took time to reflect before making a decision, but denied recent claims that he wanted the move.
“I did receive an offer to leave the club and pursue other dreams. I thought about it with my family and needed a few days before speaking to you. I’m human, and it’s normal to hesitate in these moments, but we chose to keep living Botafogo. I never said I wanted to leave.
With former Bournemouth keeper Neto already arriving at Botafogo, the decision also came with the challenge of new internal competition.
For West Ham, the failed deal may explain why they’ve now turned their attention to Werder Bremen’s Michael Zetterer. As for John, it’s back to business in Rio, and back to chasing his Seleção dream, on his own terms.