West Ham have confirmed that striker Sonny Perkins has left the club on a free transfer.
The Hammers have issued a statement expressing their anger and surprise at the player and his representatives.
Perkins was offered a professional contract more than once, but he has opted against putting pen to paper.
The club have said the following: “West Ham United can confirm 18-year-old Sonny Perkins has left the Club.
“Perkins, who joined the West Ham United Academy at Under-14 level, rejected the Club’s offers of a professional contract.
“The Club is now entitled to receive compensation from any club Perkins decides to join.
“West Ham United invests millions of pounds annually into its world-renowned Academy of Football – and naturally the Club is extremely disappointed that Sonny has chosen not to continue his development with the Hammers.”
It remains to be seen where the striker is going to go next but there is talk of interest from a number of Premier League clubs, including Leeds, Spurs, and Aston Villa.
Within the statement, the Hammers have accused another club of tapping Perkins up, expressing their disappointment that his head has been turned.
They add: “The Club is disappointed with Perkins’ representatives and strongly believe he was approached to sign for another club which led to him asking to be released from his scholarship at West Ham United.
“West Ham United take this matter very seriously – we believe the rules and structures in place at the Football Association and Premier League should be upheld at all times.
“The Club will be making no further comment.”
Perkins is an England U18 international with six caps and two goals to his name, and he has played for the first-team three times.
He made a total of 53 appearances for the youth teams and scored 19 times and will now be moving to another club, likely in the Premier League.
never really given a chance, prefers to play a worn out Antonio.
Could be another spot of tapping up?
I’m pretty sure that some will use this situation to negatively attack the manager and the club, but the tail should NEVER wag the Dog……… NEVER!
As far as I’m concerned, this 18-year-old is a disgrace and disappointment to Our club, supporters, all of the coaches, first-team players and the manager who have imparted all of their knowledge and worked so hard to make him the player that he is on the way to becoming…..
Unfortunately, we have raised a Viper!
Should’ve given him minutes. Not like there weren’t opportunities.
Well said and totally agree. It’s the same old story with Moyes wherever he goes. And before the likes of The Cat (Moyes in disguise?) say the Academy players aren’t good enough or that Moyes knows best, how do we know until we give them a chance? Moyes has no track record of promoting and incorporating Academy players into the first team squad and it is potentially costing us millions and wasting so much talent. No wonder they become frustrated and leave. I just hope that we don’t lose Ashby, Longelo or Okoflex for the same reasons.
The likes of you must be fairly new to West Ham, SelsdonHammer, as your knowledge regarding West Ham seems a tad limited.
Maybe you were asleep whilst Moyes produced the miracle that he has done regarding the transformation of this club over the last few years
You do know the saying regarding “Opinions…..
No idea about agents or ‘tapping’ but Mr M is just not bringing U 23 players into the first team. Even from the bench, they get no minutes of game time. Not for the last two years, no match experience. Other top clubs do – Liverpool included Will we lose any more? Highly likely I say, given DM approach to a very successful U23 set up. Laughingly, he is quoted as looking to sign U 23’s from other clubs – including Broja. Why would our own stay? Perkins scored prolifically last year – other clubs will want him. We reap as we show, so we can’t moan about it.
Ngakia and now Perkins.
perkins scored more goals than broja last season, but moyes dont give youth a chance, talks a good game, but fails to put it into practice.
why have we signed 2 new young players this window, to watch them rot in the reserves forever, there is no ambition for them at west ham if they are not given a chance.
we may have to lose a few games to go forward, but arsenal done it, we can too.
shame hes listened to someone poison, let the club down i think.
Nowhere near ready for first team and will disappear into the oblivion of losers and thier egos thinking they are worth more than they really are. We have better players than him in okuflex alese longelo Ashby and the classy Chesters.
Thanks…… Who the hell does he think he is?
If EVER there was an indication of a players future…….then this is it!
kids a disgrace. Good riddance. Would have been off to another club had he been successful with us anyway.
Two interesting facts I’ve learnt about Sonny Perkins. His mother is a famous and very wealthy actress. He is also a massive Tottenham fan. If it’s Tottenham that’s tapped him up it would explain why he would want to go.
I also agree, good riddance are my wishes for him.
Imagine the scenario if he had become a first-teamer and walked the first chance that came his way?
The guy is a viper. Mr West Ham Nobes has been encouraging him and giving him advice, all along… and then he does this?
Funny, I thought he had a spud shaped head 😂
Bring back The Reserves. The step up from U23’s is too great and having a reserve team allows players who have been injured a route back to the 1st team. The better U23’s would benefit by playing alongside older/experienced dudes. They could play at Rush Green or even Orient if OS wasn’t possible.
Sadly the only loyalty in football these days is us the fans. There was a Noble exception but now he has gone.
I trust the manager’s judgement along with experienced coaching staff about if and when to play a youngster. Look at those young players we thought could make it and have left the club. They are not exactly thriving in the EFL let alone the Premier league
Definitely a point missed by many I think 👍
Being humble and loyal maketh the man and I cannot think of ONE great player that started out like him…..
I think some have lost sight of the fact that the U23’s is light years away from Permier League first-team level and I feel that he is destined to crash and burn.
Personally I would not be too hard on Sonny about this. When I was 18, I was all over the place, and made decisions I might not now.
You guys said this wasn’t happening and he had a year left – what happened?
Didn’t Moyes give, ahem, Wayne Rooney his debut?! If Moyes is so poor at promoting EPL-quality players from the youth ranks, what happened to all of the EPL-quality players that Everton had on their youth team books during Moyes’ 10 year plus spell? Which clubs did they go on to have glittering careers at?
How many made first team ljd…honest question
Off to Leeds I think
Ngakia comes to mind. Another young talent apparently coveted by other clubs. Could of stayed and battled for right back spot but was too good for that. That worked out well for him.
And it seems we have previous for forwards lighting up u-23’s, only to falter at senior level.
Perkins is taking a risk switching to a club that have only a minimal investment in his development.
All in all, not too worried, as players bolting is not the norm at WHU.
Just so many who gets on here.
He wasn’t good enough for first team and not our best young attacking player either.
Moyes played players in some of the European games & Perkins was not good enough to start (and won’t be for at least not for a good few years).
Moyes sees these players and gets reports all the time, the moaners on here see a fraction and then declare they’re experts (or use anything they can as an excuse to slag off the best manager we’ve had for decades).
Look who’s moved on Ngakia, couldn’t lace Johnson’s boots & not good enough for West Ham.
Martinez , everyone blaming managers for not playing this average player, who’s not good enough for the Irons.
Quinoa lol, people crying about losing such a talent who rarely played for a relegated Watford.
You don’t want to lose players but the right attitude is important and he hasn’t got it, get rid as bad attitudes rub off on people so we are better off without someone who is 99% certain to be an average sub at best.
I don’t know what others think but the culture Moyes has instilled is a huge part of why this team is able beat and get above the money bag clubs. Anyone who is not willing to buy into it, doesn’t have the hunger the successful players have and will not be missed.
IronSupport absolutely nailed it. The problem is these kids get lured by agents whispering in their ears and the promise of huge sums of money. They probably think they’ve already made it instead of knuckling down and putting the hard work in. To be given that kind of opportunity and schooling with a premier league football team. All the work the coaches have put in to this point and then for the kid to turn his back on them and turn down a professional contract to go elsewhere must be like a huge slap in the face for all those people who have tried to help and advise him. Probably more like being spat in the face than being slapped. Then take a look at a great character like Declan Rice, someone who was released by Chelsea but when offered a chance by West Ham grabbed it with both hands and worked harder than ever to achieve his dream and look where he is now. Yes Declan might go to a champions league team in the future but til now he’s repayed every Penny we spent on his development and if he does go in a years time it will be for a huge amount of money which means our academy has more than payed for itself.