West Ham United were not the only Premier League club who missed out when one of 2023’s most sought-after centre-halves, and a one-time Arsenal target, completed his £20 million transfer a couple of summers back.
And, to some extent, the Hammers had themselves to blame.
Because, after forking over £73 million to bring both Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez to the London Stadium, Ajax would devote part of that windfall to snatching Josip Sutalo from under the noses of much deeper-pocketed clubs in far more high-profile destinations.
Sutalo would swap Dinamo Zagreb for Ajax, leaving West Ham United to sign Konstantinos Mavropanos during the final few days of the window instead.
Two years on, with both Sutalo and Mavropanos linked with moves again, the defensive duo could find their fates entwined once more. Croatia international Sutalo is back on West Ham’s radar, per ESPN. And should the Hammers get their man at their second time of asking, this will surely speed up Mavropanos’ departure after two error-strewn seasons in the English capital.
And, as was mentioned above, West Ham were not the only Premier League outfit who showed an interest in Sutalo prior to him becoming the third-most expensive signing in Eredivisie history.
Arsenal and Napoli once wanted West Ham United target Josip Sutalo
Croatian publication Germanijak claim that offers arrived both from West Ham and Nottingham Forest. The City Ground outfit would go on to bring in the relatively unknown Murillo on a much cheaper deal from Corinthians instead.
In contrast to Mavropanos’ struggles in claret and blue, Murillo has blossomed into one of the world’s top young defensive talents in Garibaldi red.
As for Napoli and Arsenal, two teams whose recent title challenges have been built upon the rock-solid foundations of an outstanding backline, Sutalo hardly registers these days as an opportunity missed.
“[I chose the Eredivisie] because Ajax were the most decisive,” Sutalo told De Telegraaf shortly after putting pen to paper at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
“Arsenal and Napoli showed interest, but did not come up with a concrete proposal. Ajax did, so my choice was quickly made in that regard.”
West Ham should be worried by Sutalo’s Eredivisie struggles at Ajax
While William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have evolved into arguably Arsenal’s best central defensive partnership since the ‘Invincible’ days of Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure, Sutalo’s time at Ajax has been dogged by individual errors and incessant criticism of his hefty price-tag.
The similarities with Mavropanos continue, then.
Sutalo certainly resembled a calmer, more assured presence in his second season at Ajax. But, as Eredivisie pundit Hans Kraay Jr puts it, he could hardly have played much worse.
Furthermore, after blowing a nine-point lead to gift rivals PSV Eindhoven the Eredivisie title, Sutalo must take more blame than most. It was his recklessly high challenge, after all, which handed Groningen the free-kick from which they scored a 99th minute equaliser in the season’s penultimate matchday.
“The ‘Croatian Jackie Chan’ almost reached his [opponents] larynx with a very high foot. Very clumsy”, a bemused Kraay Jr told ESPN after Sutalo attempted an interception more suited to a dojo than a football pitch.
“The worst foul of the entire year. He wants to go through people so often! I hear a lot [that he has improved at Ajax], but he couldn’t be worse than last season.
“I don’t think he’s great.”
If West Ham dodged a £20 million bullet back in 2023, renewing their interest in Josip Sutalo has the feeling of a club grabbing the shotgun and aiming the barrel squarely at their own foot.
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