West Ham United’s Nikola Vlašić is keen on returning to Torino after having spent the last season on loan with them.
The Serie A side decided against exercising the €13m buying option, with a hope of trying to get him for a lower price. That strategy hasn’t worked out well so far.
Tuttosport now state the attacking midfielder has already expressed his desire to leave West Ham with David Moyes and the club’s new technical director, Tim Steidten.
The newspaper states the 25-year-old has told the Hammers that he’s unhappy with the stalemate in the negotiations with the Italian club over his transfer. He’s also told West Ham that his family no longer wants to live in London and are keen to return to Turin.
His reported rant has been published as direct quotes by Tuttosport, although whether they are verbatim remains up for debate, which is why we will not publish them as direct quotes.
‘I’m fed up with this dead-end situation. We all know, you first, that I’m not considered an important player here, I’m just one of many in the reserve group. I returned to London respecting the call-up with great fairness and I am training every day with the utmost professionalism, but this cannot be the solution,’ he reportedly said.
‘I’ve been telling you for two months that I want to play for Turin, that I no longer want to stay at West Ham under these conditions, on the sidelines. And also, that my own family never wants to go back to live in England. And also, that I’m not interested in evaluating other market hypotheses, if ever there were.’
‘Your behaviour is incomprehensible. I know that Torino has already offered you €9m for a long time, an important figure, respectful of my value and your needs. But you don’t intend to negotiate with Torino, you repeat that it’s not enough, but you still don’t communicate to the Italian club what the right figure is, in your opinion. I’m worried: I will continue training with great seriousness, but it cannot go on like this.’
It’s to be once again noted these may not be the Croatia international’s exact comments as if they were recorded but what Tuttosport claim he told the Hammers during a meeting with them.
West Ham, in their response, have reportedly told Vlašić to ask the Serie A side to meet their demands.
The outlet says Moyes’ side are waiting for a better offer while refusing to let Torino know about the request to carry out the negotiations. Tuttosport suggests the London club want €13m to sanction his sale.
Vlašić, for his part, is worried about Torino ending the pursuit and shifting their focus on another player.
