West Ham Transfer Business May Be On Hold For One Simple Reason

By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X).

Whilst many of us are celebrating David Sullivan’s departure from a position of influence at West Ham, it’s important to note that there is likely to be very little transfer activity happening at the moment.

In terms of players arriving, that should come as little surprise to anyone.

Up until just a few days ago, Jack Sullivan was heavily involved in both player recruitment and the search for a new Director of Football, as we’ve covered extensively on Claret & Hugh.

At this point, however, I would be very surprised if any member of the Sullivan family is involved in anything at all as Daniel Kretinsky looks to take full control of West Ham over the coming days.

With that in mind, it would not be surprising if Jack Sullivan’s preferred candidates for Director of Football were discarded almost as quickly as his father departed the club.

Who Is Negotiating The Deals?

The upheaval may also have created something of a bottleneck when it comes to players leaving.

Rumour has it that Aaron Wan-Bissaka remains a target for David Moyes’ Everton and I believe that to be the case.

The problem is that valuations seem to vary wildly, from £10 million to £20 million.

But the bigger issue may be that there is currently nobody at West Ham in a position to negotiate that transaction.

Interim chief executive Karim Virani already has more than enough on his plate dealing with the day-to-day running of the football club.

Likewise, it would be fair to assume Daniel Kretinsky has more pressing concerns at the moment as he seeks to strengthen his position at West Ham.

It’s also difficult to imagine either Vanessa Gold or Albert Tripp Smith having the experience or desire to start negotiating transfer fees and player exits.

Silence May Be West Ham’s Best Tactic

Of course, somebody will be put in place sooner rather than later.

But as things stand, West Ham’s strongest negotiating position may simply be the silence currently being received by clubs attempting to make contact.

It’s all very well Manchester United believing they can open discussions for Mateus Fernandes at £60 million.

I suspect they may currently be met with little more than tumbleweed in the absence of anyone actively overseeing transfer negotiations.

And rightly so.

The club needs an appointment. Somebody capable of negotiating and negotiating hard.

I also think it helps West Ham’s position that it is now widely understood the person taking control of the club is a billionaire.

That should lessen the sense of blood in the water from rival clubs who may previously have believed they could take advantage of a weakened West Ham.

With Kretinsky’s resources behind the club, the pressure to accept cut-price offers should be significantly reduced.

As things stand, though, transfer activity may simply have to wait.