Hammers settle dispute with Watford

Claret and Hugh have learnt that West Ham settled their case with Watford over Jeremy Ngakia before the matter was referred to an independent tribunal.

The terms of the settlement resolved earlier this year means the actual amount remains confidential but the Hammers would have only received compensation for the player’s investment in training in the West Ham Academy as a teenager and not his true market value.

The undisclosed compensation amount settled outside of a hearing is likely to be in the six-figure range instead of seven.

West Ham offered Ngakia a new contract and an extension to the end of the extended season but the youngster and his agent rebuffed both offers.

He later joined Watford after his West ham contract expired making twenty-one appearances in the Championship.

Since the return to the Premier League Ngakia has been restricted to two appearances for Watford, one in the EFL Cup in which he was substituted off after 62 minutes and one league appearance against Spurs coming on as a 51st-minute substitute.

A club insider told Claret and Hugh “He’s not torn down trees for them, but might still turn out good, we didn’t want to leave him us”