Slaven Bilic has revealed that he personally vetoed West Ham’s move for AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca.
The Colombia international was widely mooted as the Hammers’ main centre-forward target for some time as they searched for a big-name player to cap an impressive summer of business in east London.
However, despite them having agreed a fee with Milan and put a lucrative contract on the table for the 29-year-old, the player himself announced that he will be staying in Italy for the coming season after rejecting a move.
And Bilic has now lifted the lid on why Bacca will not be in his XI for 2016/17, revealing that he cancelled the club’s pursuit of the player amid concerns that he was not eager to relocate to the London Stadium:
“I think Bacca is impossible,” he is quoted by Sky Sports. “I was the one who called it off three weeks ago in Austria. I wanted him, of course, but I don’t want to have to drag players to West Ham.
“We are not Real Madrid or Manchester United but we are a good club and a proud club with players who are proud to play for us.
“Lots of players want to come to West Ham, believe me. They are calling me every day. So I was the one who said there was no point continuing with Bacca. We are not going to beg anyone to play for us.
“I wasn’t angry at him. He is at a great club on great money and he wants to stay on that level. And of course we are not at that level. We want to be in a few years but we are not there yet. I keep saying that just having a stadium, ambition and money that match those clubs, does not make you one of them.”
West Ham are now reportedly closing in on a deal for Juventus’ Simone Zaza after losing Andy Carroll and Andre Ayew to lengthy injuries.
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