West Ham United accused of ‘little respect’ in Hans Vanaken chase
West Ham United tried their hardest to sign Club Brugge midfielder Hans Vanaken over the summer but ultimately failed in their efforts.
The Belgian champions were reluctant to lose one of their best players and leaders in the dressing room and were stubborn enough to not only keep him away from the London Stadium but also sign a new deal.
Two Belgian journalists have now come out and slated West Ham for failing to show respect for Brugge in the way they dealt with the transfer negotiations.
“I do feel sorry for Hans himself, because I think it would have been a fantastic adventure. But who knows, maybe the train will pass by one day,” Aster Nzeyimana said, as quoted by Voetbal 24.
“I think that will only happen if Club doesn’t ask for a transfer fee anymore,” Peter Vandenbempt responded.
“West Ham have been courting Vanaken for a few years now, but when it comes to payment, they don’t do it. They don’t want to go any further than £10-11million and that’s a sign of little respect.”
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From a West Ham point of view, the club were only trying to sign someone who could be a backup to the headline purchase of Lucas Paqueta so there is no reason why they would spend more than they need to on the deal.
Financial restrictions may have also prevented any higher offers with a club-record fee of £51million being splashed on the tricky Brazilian who arrived from Lyon late in the window.
Vanaken is now at an age where he needs to be a guaranteed starter wherever he goes anyway and that was never going to be the case at West Ham because there is too much talent at the club already.
David Moyes and his recruitment team did the absolute right thing in not cowering to the price Brugge were demanding for someone who may have only had one or two years at his best in the top flight.