Where West Ham now stand in pursuit of Tomas Chory, the striker who wants to be hated

West Ham have not made any moves in the summer window, but Slavia Prague striker Tomas Chory was subject to a bid.

After Callum Wilson departed, the Hammers could use with another centre-forward in E20.

Niclas Fullkrug is likely to depart due to his wages and age. Additionally, he is not in Nuno Espirito Santo's plans.

Chory is an experienced striker, coming in at 31 years old, as well as clearly having an eye for goal.

The Czech forward ended last season as the top scorer in the Czech First League.

But West Ham's pursuit has taken a fresh twist amid the latest news out of the European nation.

What Slavia Praha's owner has now said about Tomas Chory's future

West Ham Zone has previously reported on West Ham's bid for Chory, but the saga has taken a twist already.

Slavia chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik had previously stated that the striker would never play for the Czech club again, opening the door to a transfer.

But now it seems the tides have changed.

According to Infotbal on Thursday, comments from Tvrdik confirm that Slavia owner Pavel Tykac has personally intervened to prevent a sale.

He said: "I received an order that we will continue to rely on Tomas' valid contract."

The report later goes on to say that Chory will now "not enter into negotiations with anyone", with West Ham among the teams mentioned.

Why Chory would have become West Ham cult hero

Losing out on a target is always disappointing, but when it comes to Chory, the Hammers are missing out on a character that fans would love.

Comments relayed by Czech outlet Idnes have the forward stating that he wants to be a hated figure in football.

He stated: "That people don't like me? It actually makes me feel good."

That mentality to prove his doubters wrong seems to be a core driving factor behind his success.

And those strong personalities have typically been loved in E20 over the years.

Paolo Di Canio is a cult hero for the Hammers, and much of that not only came through his brilliance, but rather his fiery attitude.

He was never quiet on the pitch, whether it was through his brilliance or his celebrations or gestures.

Di Canio was adored at West Ham because he was the kind of player opposition fans hated but the Irons loved.

Chory's openness at wanting to be disliked may well have been a mentality that resonated with the fanbase.

But it seems it is not to be.