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West Ham Gaffers Budget Blow-Did Potter Know The Truth?

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West Ham manager Graham Potter must be quickly coming to the realisation that he has taken on a huge challenge when joining the Hammers.

The news that the Irons boss will not be receiving all of the money from the sale of Mohammed Kudus has come as a shock. However, there is a distinct possibility that it may have come as something of a surprise to Potter too.

The former Brighton and Chelsea boss was said to have negotiated hard when interviewed for the London Stadium gig. He was reluctant to take the position on a caretaker/temporary basis and instead pushed for a long-term deal.

Therefore, I always thought it was safe to assume he’d have negotiated to secure a transfer fund to spend—after all, why would West Ham pay £1m compensation for Kyle Macaulay as a recruitment expert if there is nobody to recruit?

Without being inside the room we’ll never know what happened, but I wonder if Potter knew he’d be aware of the need to sell players before buying? I’m now beginning to wonder if siphoning some of the generated funds off to fill a financial void is a new revelation for him too.

It would seem that Potter’s transfer budget is getting smaller by the day… I just wonder if he knew in advance?

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Kris Gonzo (commonly known to the West Ham community as Gonzo) is the co-founder of Hammers Chat (established 2014) and the lead video content creator and columnist for Claret and Hugh.

With over a decade of professional sports media experience, he is a frequent West Ham United analyst and contributor for Sky Sports News, BBC Football Focus, and BBC Radio 5 Live. He previously served as an official video and content creator for West Ham United FC during the club's tenure at Upton Park and featured in the official documentary commemorating the historic final game at the Boleyn Ground.

A lifelong Hammer since the legendary 10-0 victory over Bury, when he isn't providing daily match analysis on the Hammers Chat YouTube Channel or broadcasting on X (@GONZObignose), he can be found walking his dog and restoring classic pinball machines.