West Ham boss Slaven Bilic says David Sullivan ‘likes to talk’ after Hammers co-owner said he was offered Renato Sanches and Grzegorz Krychowiak
Hammers boss denies claims in same week as London Stadium chief Sullivan was branded 'parasite' and a 'liar' by Sporting Lisbon in row over failed signing of William Carvalho
SLAVEN BILIC says David Sullivan “likes to talk” after the West Ham co-owner astonishingly claimed he was offered Renato Sanchez and Grzegorz Krychowiak.
The frustrated Croatian failed to obtain top target William Carvalho from Sporting Lisbon on deadline day amid cries of foul-play from both sides.
Sullivan released a statement defending the club’s transfer dealings, in which he insisted Bilic had rejected the chance to sign the midfield pair instead.
But the Croatian, 48, has strongly denied his boss’s claims.
Bilic said: “David Sullivan likes to talk – it's his right to be able to.
“I wanted a player [Carvalho] and that is not exactly what happened with those two you mention (Sanches and Krychowiak).
“I wanted Carvalho and we were in the middle of talking about Carvalho, it looked very, very likely that the deal would happen.”
“To be fair, during my time at West Ham, it's very common that it looks like a player is going to happen, then someone throws in two or three other names and that distracts you from the main target. That's what happened.”
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Bayern Munich star Sanches ultimately joined Swansea on loan in one of the biggest coups of the summer, while Krychowiak moved to West Brom from Paris Saint-Germain for the rest of the season.
But West Ham were left empty handed on deadline day as the transfer window slammed shut before they could get the Carvalho deal over the line.
Sullivan was branded a “liar” and a “parasite” by Sporting director Nuno Saraiva last week after he claimed that Sporting never gave the Hammers enough time for a medical when they finally agreed to sell Carvalho.
West Ham in turn threatened legal action over the slurs and slammed the Portuguese side as “attention seekers” over claims they had “tapped up” the player.
But Bilic is intent to distance himself from the row – insisting his side simply refused to stump up Sporting’s £40million asking price.
He added: “Why didn't it happen? It was definitely money. I know I wanted the player but as far as I know, we have been in talks with Sporting Lisbon.
“Official or not, I don't know. I don't do these things.
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“I suggested the player, I wanted the player and we talked to them. It didn't happen because the money was too high.”
The under-fire manager did, however, find one aspect of the row amusing.
Asked about Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho labelling Sullivan and fellow owner David Gold ‘dildo brothers’, he admitted: “It's funny! It made me laugh.”
SunSport exclusively revealed on Friday that West Ham will again move for Carvalho in this season's January transfer window.