An agent who parties with the Sullivan family has brought his third client in a year to West Ham after sealing the free transfer of Ryan Fredericks, according to a club insider.
Ex-WHU Employee, who regularly breaks Hammers stories, has written in a column for the West Ham Way site that Will Salthouse has been hugely successful at bringing his players to the London Stadium due to his friendships with co-owner David Sullivan and his sons Jack and David.
Salthouse represents new arrival Fredericks, who joined on a Bosman free last week after signing a deal worth £50,000-a-week, as well as summer-2017 signings Marko Arnautovic and Sead Haksabanovic.
“He (Salthouse) is a friend of the Sullivans and has helped to broker many a deal whilst going with the sons to Ibiza and to many a London party. He is the man behind Arnautovic’s move to the club and I am not sure many people know this but Haksabanovic as well,” the West Ham Way column read. “As part of the deal for signing Arnie, Will ensured that we also signed Sead.”
OPINION
West Ham fans will be alarmed that the coaching staff knew nothing of left-sided midfielder Haksabanovic, 19, until he turned up at the training ground with an £18,000-a-week contract already in his pocket. That is the way of the modern game, however, where agents have enormous power and can ensure a deal is on or off with a nod of their head. Salthouse is not a high profile agent in the manner of, say, Jorge Mendes, but he has some top players on his books and is successful at getting them moves to big clubs. Including West Ham. It will grate on some supporters that he is able to get his clients to the club partly because he hangs out with the Sullivans, but Fredericks looks a good-value signing and Arnautovic has been a huge hit since joining last summer and his value has probably double. Haksabanovic could well come good, too, after making just two senior appearances in his debut season. A new signing to watch out for? Possibly Manchester United back-up keeper Sam Johnstone, who has made a strong impression while at Aston Villa in the last 18 months. He is a client of Salhouse, too.
