Outside of West Ham’s impending relegation from the Premier League, there is a separate issue developing behind the scenes that warrants closer examination, beginning with the financial structure of Pablo Felipe’s transfer to the club in the January window.
According to information previously reported for Claret & Hugh by Gonzo only €8 million of the publicly stated €21 million fee was received by selling club Gil Vicente.
Famalicão, who held a 15% sell‑on clause, are due approximately €3 million from the deal. Even after accounting for that obligation, there remains a significant discrepancy between the headline figure and the amount that appears to have been transferred directly between clubs.
Given that Gil Vicente originally acquired Pablo Felipe for €240,000, the scale of the reported numbers has raised questions within parts of the Portuguese and English football media.
It should also be noted that Nuno played with Pablo’s father Pena during his time at Porto between 2002-2004.
Since joining West Ham, Pablo Felipe has now been linked with other clubs including Brentford and Bournemouth. Having spoken to a transfer insider source close to the club over the weekend they confirmed to Claret & Hugh that if the club sold the player they would suffer a huge loss on their original outlay.
Outside of this story, his agent Jorge Mendes has been connected to several ongoing storylines involving other West Ham personnel.
Manchester United have reportedly held conversations with Mendes’ Gestifute agency regarding Mateus Fernandes, who has equally attracted interest across Europe.
Mendes Growing Agent Influence
Nuno Espírito Santo, also represented by Mendes, has not committed publicly to remaining at the club beyond the current season, though it is understood his contract can be terminated by mutual consent at the end of the season in the event of relegation.
It should be recognised that agents routinely explore market options for their clients but the concentration of Mendes‑related activity around key West Ham figures has drawn attention.
Taken together, these factors contribute to a sense that West Ham are entering a period of structural and strategic uncertainty. With major decisions pending on the manager, key players, and the club’s financial planning, the influence of agents including Mendes is naturally being scrutinised more closely.
The central question emerging from these developments is not one of conspiracy, but of governance. How clearly defined are West Ham’s internal decision‑making processes at a time when multiple high‑value negotiations involve the same representative?
The sooner this is addressed the better, beginning with a Director of Football.
How often are West Ham big money signings followed by huge losses? That tells the story of our club’s demise as much as anything the inability to sign players that get better.
We are looking up at multiple smaller clubs that get it right more times than wrong. They sell their best players for big profits and already have researched replacements come in and so they go on without a blip.
Not us though boom bust sell to buy anarchy