It was a tumultuous day in the history of West Ham United. The club’s acknowledgement of the takeover bid – for that is what it signified – by Amanda Staveley’s consortium by acquiring the Gold family shares burst into the limelight and overshadowed the team’s performance on the pitch in the last of their pre-season friendlies.
The permutations and repercussions will take some working out as the club looks in line for a three way tug of war in which potentially any of the trio could emerge with a majority share of the company that owns our football club.
And amidst it all, one of the clubs brightest young talents looks to have secured an exit, almost un-noticed thanks to the far more news worthy headlines.
Farewell Freddie: Potts heading to Belgium for a medical.
Freddie Potts, just last season making his debut and scooping a man of the match award, looks to be leaving the club he’s spent most of his life at and heading overseas for a £10 million fee, according to news report by the Telegraph this afternoon.
“Club Brugge have agreed a deal for Freddie Potts worth €12m for West Ham midfielder. Belgian sources expect him to miss #whufc pre-season game this weekend. Replacement for departing Raphael Onyedika“
Potts was on the team sheet but not on the bench as it was suggested he’d already left to travel for a medical.
You can’t keep ’em all but – after a very impressive debut, it seemed his FA Cup red card was pivotal in his Hammers career with Nuno less inclined to trust him after. If the £10 million fee enables Nuno to bring in Celtic’s Arne Engels as an upgrade then there’s eminent sense in the decision.
Good luck, Freddie P.
Not unnoticed here, that’s for sure.😊
Made the comment last season that I thought he had gone into his shell, just my impression/theory. Or he was told to play DM and nothing else – I hope not, but possibly.
At Pompey he made assists and had shots at goal, a different role. Hope he really kicks on at Club Brugge and he becomes a more complete midfielder than he was at WHU where he seemed to be playing in a straitjacket. Perhaps he will feel the pressure is off and he’ll be able to be himself and it comes back to bite WHU in the butt (meant in fun).
Understand why he left WHU and this might be the right move for club & Potts. He needs to develop his game to become the footballer he can be and it might be easier for him to do this at Club Brugge.
Probably told by his Father to get out. West Ham is becoming toxic. Get out while you can.
Multiple first team players in the same position – Kante, Magassa, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Potts. Feels like a financial decision, as this is pure profit, vs loss or break even on any of those others. Real shame, as he’s not notably better or worse than any of those, though has a great attitude and I hoped he might be the new Noble.