Former West Ham manager David Moyes has explained how he missed out on Axel Witsel joining West Ham during his reign.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Moyes told listeners that he tried to sign Witsel while he was playing in China but wages were a stumbling block.
“Witsel is a tremendous player and someone who I was interested in at West Ham last year when he was in China,” Moyes told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Obviously, his money was too big and he must be getting paid a lot at Dortmund, that’s all I can say.”
Witsel had a lucrative spell with the Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian that is thought to have earned him £20m in only 18 months.
He turned 30 last month and, usually deployed in the double pivot alongside Denmark’s Thomas Delaney in Lucien Favre’s fluid 4-2-3-1 system, has started all but one of Dortmund’s matches in the Bundesliga this season.