West Ham transfer news: David Sullivan attacks Carlos Tevez's 'love' for the club after £250,000 wage demand
West Ham held talks with Tevez over a return to the club but the move has fallen through after he demanded £250,000-a-week
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West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan has questioned Carlos Tevez’s “love” of the Premier League club after a possible return fell through when the striker demanded £250,000-a-week to move back to the Premier League.
32-year-old Tevez currently turns out for Boca Juniors in Argentina after leaving Juventus last season, but he remains a sought-after payer that Sullivan believed could be lured back to West Ham, nine years after leaving East London.
Sullivan and West Ham co-chairman David Gold are determined to bring in a high profile striker to crown the move to the Olympic Stadium and pus the side on next season, although bids for Jamie Vardy, Alexandre Lacazette, Michy Batshuayi and Christian Benteke have so far proven unsuccessful.
Tevez’s name can now be added to that list, with the Argentina international likely to stay with Boca Juniors after demanding a quarter of a million pounds to join the club, leading to Sullivan launching an attack on his claim to “love” the Premier League club.
Sullivan said: “All this business, ‘I love West Ham’, well it’s ‘I love West Ham if they give me £250,000 a week.’”
He also revealed that West Ham’s offer to Tevez would have made him the highest paid player at the club, with the £150,000-a-week salary significantly more than the club’s current highest paid player in Dimitri Payet.
“So how much love is that for West Ham? I actually offered him £150,000-a-week to come back plus bonuses,” Sullivan added.
“I thought that was an incredible offer for someone who loves West Ham. And it was a huge gamble for us because he’s 33 now and hasn’t done it in South America.
“We tried to get Tevez but he wanted £250,000-a-week – and is he past his best? He hasn’t set the world alight in South America.”
In fact, Tevez does not turn 33 until 5 February next year, and his record in Argentina since his return last year stands at nine goals in 17 matches – the same as West Ham’s top goalscorers last season in Payet and Andy Carroll who achieved the feat in 30 and 27 appearances respectively.
Tevez also departed Juventus having scored an impressive 29 goals in 49 matches for Juventus, although he was left out of Argentina’s squad for the Copa America campaign last month. He remains a firm fan favourite among the Hammers faithful after his goal against Manchester United on the final day of the 2006/07 season kept the club in the Premier League.
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