Pablo Felipe has revealed the stance he is taking on his West Ham future following the club’s relegation – and it will leave jaws on the floor from the boardroom to the terraces.
When West Ham needed firepower to keep them in the Premier League, they took a huge gamble on unknown forward Pablo Felipe.
It was a gamble that very much backfired as the Hammers were relegated to the Championship.
The Brazilian arrived at West Ham in January at the insistence of Nuno Espirito Santo in a deal for an eyebrow-raising £20m.
West Ham will be surprised by Pablo’s bold stance
That was £19.75m more than Gil Vicente paid for Pablo just six months earlier.
Initially, Pablo’s insatiable workrate and tireless graft earned him many admirers among the West Ham faithful, even if he was very rough around the edges.
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It is fair to say the novelty of his workrate quickly wore off as Pablo was found wanting – and then some – when it comes to having the necessary quality to be a Premier League forward.
The 22-year-old barely registered a shot let alone come close to scoring a goal since joining the Hammers in the winter window.
He also became a meme for the foul on David Raya which cost West Ham a last gasp equaliser against Arsenal while effectively handing them the title.
So West Ham will be surprised – if not flabbergasted – by £20m striker flop Pablo’s stance on his future.
After stinking out the Premier League, many fans have felt Pablo may prove to be more effective in the Championship.
The second tier would certainly be more the striker’s level based on the evidence so far.
Pablo waiting for Premier League move despite West Ham flop
But, incredibly, Pablo is refusing to commit his future to the Hammers following relegation and instead is waiting to see if Premier League clubs come in for him.
Portuguese super agent Jorge Mendes – a close ally of Hammers boss Nuno – took on the role of Pablo’s agent before his 98.75 per cent mark-up move from Gil Vicente to east London.
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And Hammers News understands from club sources that Mendes has started offering Pablo around to clubs ahead of a potential summer move away.
It has been claimed West Ham’s Italian cousins Lazio and a number of Portuguese sides have expressed interest in the striker despite his woeful spell.
But Pablo would rather wait to see whether any Premier League clubs come in for him before making a decision on his next move.
The shot-shy forward may be in for a very long wait then.
What club in their right mind would pay anything like decent money to sign Pablo after he failed spectacularly since joining the Irons?
The notion that Pablo thinks he is too good for West Ham and believes top flight clubs might want him is utterly laughable.
It would be great for West Ham if they did get lucky and were able to offload Pablo.
But given his lack of quality, the Hammers are more likely to be stuck with him for a very long time again.
Unless others can see what West Ham and the club’s fans cannot.
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