Some things, fortunately, aren’t what they used to be at West Ham United. The end of the Brady – Sullivan era, widely celebrated by the majority of supporters, has carried extra benefits through the summer transfer window as the tried and tired Sullivan negotiating strategy is finally ended.
Known to be constantly briefing, spinning, leaking – it depends on your viewpoint – West Ham’s board seemingly couldn’t take a nap (to be polite) without leaking it.
How often the club showed its hand in the transfer window and weakened its position by proclaiming loudly, for example – ‘We have to sell before buying”– of course alerting buying clubs to their own cash-strapped desperation. Many claim this is the reason for the knock-down selling price of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham – well shy of the club’s own valuation.
Fast forward to the post – Sullivan era and the club is buttoned up tighter than a submarine door at sixty fathoms, so much so that this summer bids for players went completely unreported, slipping under the media radar: Such is the claim from yahoosports.com who report that:
“West Ham United failed with a bid to sign Alieu Njie from Torino during the summer transfer window.
West Ham tried – and failed to sign the left winger before agreeing to bring Austvø to London
Njie, 21, was not linked with the Hammers through any reports…According to Sandro Martone [Players agent], the Irons weren’t the only club keen on signing Njie before he joined Fiorentina on 30 August…. Then there was Crystal Palace, as well as an official offer presented by West Ham to Torino. “
The club are to be commended on two fronts: Firstly keeping their transfer business away from the public eye and secondly, pivoting from winger Njie to Norwegian winger Edwin Autsbø whose deal was half way completed before news made it out into the media thanks to reporters at the Norwegian end.
Judging from the first appearances of Austbø in a Claret and Blue shirt, all’s well that ends well for the Hammers. It is indeed a sign of the times ( a positive one at that!) that the negotiations for player recruitment can now take place in private. Long may it continue.