Kyle Macaulay has sent a shock message to David Sullivan and it’s come after a journalist’s sensational West Ham claim set tongues wagging.
- Hammers News exclusive
The man who has effectively replaced Tim Steidten as West Ham’s talent identifier in chief is trying to make his voice heard behind the scenes.
Steidten was sent packing by West Ham after just 18 months in east London.
The Hammers were unhappy with the way Steidten chose to spend big money in reconstructing the Hammers squad.
When Graham Potter arrived it was on the proviso West Ham paid Chelsea £1.2m to bring in his recruitment guru Kyle Macaulay.
Debate still rages over whether Steidten – who was ironically linked with Chelsea prior to joining West Ham – was really the problem.
Macaulay takes the West Ham wheel from Steidten
Especially given many of his signings have been among West Ham’s only decent players over the last two seasons.
Whatever fans’ stance on Steidten, he earned a reputation as a shrewd deal maker.
But that shipped has now sailed. And speaking of ships, West Ham have insisted they are a ‘happy ship’ in the current setup with Macaulay and Potter identifying targets and majority owner David Sullivan back in his role as de factor director of football and deal maker in chief.
Macaulay and the rest of Chelsea’s recruitment setup had an open chequebook when it came to transfers under BlueCo.
Todd Boehly and the Chelsea board have broken all manner of spending records since arriving at Stamford Bridge.
Macaulay sends shock Chelsea message to Sullivan
It will quickly become clear when the summer window opens in six weeks whether West Ham miss Steidten’s negotiation skills or not.
Graham Potter insisted West Ham are in good hands with Kyle Macaulay this week after pledging fans are in for “an exciting summer”.
Some of the targets the Hammers have been linked with are certainly exciting.
But many seem a touch ambitious – bordering on delusional – given West Ham have no European football to offer next season.
Indeed many are mutual targets with London rivals Chelsea, which should perhaps be no great surprise given where Macaulay has recently come from.
Hammers News has been told the club’s new transfer mastermind is a man full of confidence in his and the club’s ability to lure one particularly coveted target.
Macaulay has belief in sensational new David claim
Macaulay has sent a shock Chelsea message to Sullivan after a sensational West Ham claim.
In their Chelsea Confidential column for Mail Sport, journalists Kieran Gill and Tara Anson-Walsh made a quite astonishing West Ham statement.
Reporting on Chelsea’s interest in the highly sought after, and soon-to-be free agent striker, Jonathan David, Gill and Anson-Walsh state that ‘West Ham are currently leading the race out of the English sides interested in the Lille forward’.
Like the Hammers, Chelsea have long been linked with the 25-year-old Canadian forward, who has 177 goals for club and country in his career to date.
The report claims a lack of European football ‘will not help’ West Ham’s chances of beating the likes of Chelsea to David.
The journalist duo also claim David is unlikely to be the last target Chelsea face competition from West Ham for in the summer window as a result of Macaulay’s move across London.
Signing David has seemed like absolute pie in the sky for the Hammers for some time.
Hammers News has been repeatedly told there is next to no chance David will end up in east London given he has a plethora of Champions League teams chasing his signature.
But a top transfer source, who spoke to Hammers News anonymously to protect relationships, revealed Macaulay has been telling Sullivan he believes West Ham really can sign David.
The problem is, other top sources in and around the club are far from convinced, playing down any chance of a deal.
Hammers hierarchy not convinced and have already moved on
Responding to the latest David claims, football correspondent Graeme Bailey, told Hammers News he too is hearing the move is unlikely, despite Macaulay’s confidence of a deal.
Proof of which comes in the fact West Ham are ‘working hard on other striker targets’, Bailey revealed.
“I am told that high ranking sources within the club do not believe they are close to David,” Bailey told Hammers News.
“Like with (David’s Lille teammate) Angel Gomes they made offers in January have heard little since.
“If West Ham were to land David, it would be a staggering transfer coup on their behalf but personally I just can’t see them pulling it off.
“And they are also working hard on other striker targets, so clearly some at the club know it is unlikely.”
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