Just a couple of weeks ago the Portuguese media exploded with reports that West Ham had pulled off a major coup in the transfer market by signing the Portuguese u21 midfielder who was suddenly the hottest prospect in European football.
Gustavo Sá was even reported as being London bound for his Hammers medical – before silence followed and questioning glances were being thrown at the media sources on the Iberian peninsula who had made the bold assertions.
Sportwitness.co.uk today reveal the grim reality for West Ham’s aspiring midfield replacement for Mateus Fernandes:
“Nottingham Forest hijack €20m midfielder – West Ham failed to get deal over the line
“Apparently Nottingham Forest have beaten West Ham United to the signing of Gustavo Sá. That’s an unexpected end to one confusing transfer story.
Earlier this month, everything pointed towards the Portugal Under-21 international joining West Ham. A €20m (£17.3m) deal was widely reported in Portugal. The midfielder was expected to travel for a medical, and a five-year contract was said to be waiting for him in London.”
Which will be as welcome as a bucket of cold sick to Hammers fans searching anxiously for news of a first summer signing in this brave new Kretinsky/Gold – led world.
£17.3 million, apparently, is the deal price and Sá is likely to find himself loaned out :
“Gustavo Sá could potentially be loaned to Olympiacos after completing the transfer.”
We may never know the details but you’d understand the player choosing a Premier League club every time over a fallen from grace Championship side in boardroom and financial turmoil. Drat. And double drat. Another one bites the dust.
Dear oh dear, you take a made up room our, run with it, then make capital when it doesn’t happen.
Just click bait eh?
It’s all spin I’m afraid, Kretinsky has never been interested and it would appear he still isn’t, rumour has it we won’t sign that many players as we’re giving our youth a chance, unfortunately none of them are stand out players for this division,
It’s going to be a long struggle and I’ll be surprised if we make the play offs
Silva didn’t use enough influence.
Division 1 here we come!!
Maybe you snooze you loose
Are we really expected to be raging when an unsubstantiated transfer rumour turns out to be untrue? We’ve been linked with lots of players and we still haven’t signed anybody. Roll on the start of the season.
I somehow doubt this is a straightforward case of a Premier League club just walking in and hijacking the deal. Everything that has happened since Kretinsky made his declaration of a new era is increasingly pointing to a lot of spin and little actual action. West Ham could have had this deal finalised weeks ago, but the sound of inertia coming out of the club at the moment is deafening. It’s sad and I believe the only way to turn around the club is completely fresh owners and a new manager. Something is broken at the club and it now seems clear it goes beyond Sullivan.
I smell a rat in the shape of an agent here
Throw names into the hat – like West Ham’s – to build up interest in order to hurry along other clubs who may be interested
Best thing we can do is go cap in hand to Nottingham Forest and ask them to loan the player to us rather than to Olympiacos
But wait… that won’t work because both clubs are owned by Marinakis
You do have to ask the serious question – were we ever in the running to get this player to West Ham?
I would say the answer would be a big fat NO!