West Ham’s Board Sends Warning Sign to Academy Players

The transfer window has come to a close, partially, and with it, the West Ham board sends a message to their academy players – don’t succeed here.

Three massive losses from West Ham’s academy highlight the summer transfer window from 2020. No game-changing incoming players, albeit a new needed fullback, and a huge warning sent to the once-proud academy of football.

Jeremy Ngakia – left on a free

After a promising start to his West Ham career, thrust into action due to injury problems, Jeremy Ngakia left the club on a free contract after an agreement couldn’t be reached after the club tried to extend him at a predetermined rate for academy graduates. Once believed to be searching for more money, after leaving it was confirmed Ngakia just wanted confirmation he would be playing in the future.

Before he officially left the club the mouthpiece for the board, Claret & Hugh, shared information regarding the player suggesting he and his agent were being difficult and unreasonable in their requests eventually leading to an unrecoverable breakdown in negotiations.

As seen above, Ngakia has kicked on with Watford in the Championship and surely will be aiming to exact some sort of revenge on West Ham, whether it be in the Premier League or Championship next season. The unwillingness to adjust their contract structures forced this move out.

Grady Diangana – sold to West Brom, £18m

The selling of Grady Diangana will be the straw that broke the camels back in what was already a strained relationship between supporters and the West Ham board. The youngster stepped up in Cup action, accepted a loan move away to the Championship, excelled and won promotion with that team, and returned to West Ham eager to play for his own club.

Instead, Sullivan cashed in below market value on this player, selling him to relegation rivals while also hollowing out his own team. This move proves that success with the first team, success on loan, and eagerness to succeed mean nothing to the board. If you have value your security is never promised.

Josh Cullen – sold minimally to Anderlecht

A deadline deal to stab the supporters in the back one last time before the transfer window closed, Josh Cullen was sold to Anderlecht in Belgium for £800k. Again, like Diangana, Cullen left on multiple loans willingly with his eyes on reemerging as an option for his own club. Instead, he was shipped off after brutal treatment.

You can say that he failed to impress three managers in Bilic, Pellegrini, and Moyes (twice). That being said, he impressed everyone at Bradford City and Charlton, as well as just about every West Ham supporter in his brief time with the first team.

He was no youngster this year, but he signed a bumper contract to yet again try and and earn a place at HIS club. After a positive COVID-19 test bumped him from the team to face Hull City, Cullen was made spare parts before he could step into the team and continue his fine form he showed in preseason and Cup action.

The warning sign is clear to the academy players at West Ham – do not think your future is in your hands. As long as David Sullivan is at the helm the health of his chequing account will always come before the health of his club. Players are merely chess pieces to move about and position for profit. Young academy players should not assume loans, success, or hard work will protect them from an unwanted move.