A senior West Ham source described Bournemouth beating them to Eli Junior Kroupi as “a game” multi-club owners play.
The West Ham board have been heavily criticised for a lack of transfer activity in the winter window.
Evan Ferguson was West Ham’s only signing as he arrived on a straight loan from Brighton.
Many feel the club showed a lack of ambition – especially as they lost out to Premier League rivals Bournemouth for hot prospect Eli Junior Kroupi.
The transfer window can do funny things to football supporters.
Until a few days before the window closed, the majority of West Ham and Bournemouth fans had probably never heard of 18-year-old French striker Kroupi.
Yet as links to the young Lorient striker intensified – and footage of him in action was shared online – Cherries and Hammers fans were desperate for their club to win the race.
On West Ham’s part it’s easy to see why.
The club desperately needs to overhaul its striker options.
Iraola rubs salt in West Ham wound with Kroupi admission
A big mistake the Hammers made in recent years was not pushing through with a move for Hugo Ekitike, who is now flying at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Kroupi has been the heir to Ekitike at Lorient and West Ham must find replacements for Niclas Fullkrug, Michail Antonio and Danny Ings for the long-term.
West Ham actually agreed a £35m deadline day deal for Kroupi.
So when Bournemouth signed him for £25m less half an hour before the window closed, eyebrows were raised.
Reports in France ahead of deadline day did warn a move to Bournemouth was more likely given Bill Foley owns a big stake in both clubs.
It was also suggested Kroupi was more like to go to the Vitality because Bournemouth were willing to let him stay at Lorient on loan for the rest of the season and help them get promoted back to Ligue 1.
But many fans feel something doesn’t add up about their £10m move after West Ham offered more than three times that amount.
A senior Hammers source has since described the deal as “a game” multi-club owners play.
One top West Ham insider also suggested the transaction should be investigated by UEFA.
Now Andoni Iraola has rubbed salt in the West Ham wound with an admission on the Bournemouth striker deal.
The Spaniard is doing a stellar job with the Cherries, making a mockery of his compatriot Julen Lopetegui’s glossier CV given the mess he left West Ham in.
Speaking about Kroupi for the first time, Iraola has twisted the knife for the Hammers.
Boss admits ‘club controlled Kroupi’ to beat West Ham
Because he suggests he didn’t necessarily see the deal as a priority, preferring to sign players who he can use now.
Iraola then hit the Hammers with another blow, saying his club had won the race for a top young star who was well ahead of the normal trajectory for someone his age.
But he added insult to injury but admitting the fact Foley owns both clubs sealed the deal – saying Foley controlled the player.
“Obviously, if you ask me, overall, we wanted to sign players for now, but it’s true that the winter market is difficult and sometimes you don’t have the players that you need there and we decided not to sign anyone finally,” Iraola told the Bournemouth Daily Echo.
“I think it’s obviously a player that the club controlled from before.
“Obviously with the relationship with Lorient, I think it was a good chance for the club to sign someone that for his age is ahead of the normal trajectory of a player.
“I think he’s performing very well and has been really successful with Lorient, also with the national team in the under 19s. And I’m very happy.
“I don’t know (if he’ll be a Premier League star). I hope he is, but I really don’t know.
“We have to see him come here. Always when you come to the Premier League there is an adaptation process, especially for someone that is so young, with a new language, a different style of football.
“But obviously when you sign a player it’s because you think they have the capacities to perform at this level.”
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