The real owners of Jonathan Calleri

The Argentine striker is not owned by a football club, but a Tevez-esque investment fund.

Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri has joined West Ham with relatively little fanfare - but as word of his talent spreads, so does the mystery of his move deepen.

Sao Paolo, Deportivo Maldonado, Boca Juniors or someone different altogether?

The official West Ham site felt confident enough to release that the club had agreed to ‘sign Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri from Sao Paolo’ back in mid-July, so this move has been firm for some time.

With the Hammers saying they had got their man from Sao Paolo back then, the official announcement of Calleri’s signing now says he plays for Uruguayan second-division club Deportivo Maldonado, and was in fact on loan at Sao Paolo. Now a club insider has told the reliable ClaretAndHugh that ‘Boca wouldn’t go there at all’ on an eventual buyout price. That’s Argentinian side Boca Juniors - who Calleri undoubtedly played for but not since 2015.

So what’s going on here? It’s all very confusing but seems to hark back to an issue West Ham fans will be more familiar with than most - third-party ownership.

On transfer deadline day 2006, West Ham pulled off a major coup by signing Argentina World Cup stars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.

Fans around the world were left scratching their heads with regards to how they had pulled it off. Eventually it turned out Kia Joorabchian, an Iranian businessman interested in purchasing West Ham, actually owned the economic rights of the pair through various businesses, namely Media Sports Investment (MSI).

Whilst a familiar practice in South America, it was not so accepted in the Premier League and a protracted legal wrangle ensued, eventually leading to West Ham being fined a record £5.5 million for failing to reveal the full terms of ownership of the players. Whilst Tevez became a club legend after leading a great escape from relegation, the Hammers didn’t get a transfer fee when he moved to Manchester United, nor did they get anything when Mascherano transferred to Liverpool.

Eight years after departing West Ham, Tevez was back at boyhood club Boca playing up front with 22 year-old Jonathan Calleri, who netted 16 times in 41 starts for the Buenos Aires outfit. A decent record for a player his age - but there was more to come.

"the Hammers have him on loan from second-division Uruguayan club [...] who he has never played a game for "

Most recently, in the 2016 Copa Libertadores, Calleri was top scorer for semi-finalists Sao Paulo with nine goals. That’s no small feat. The Copa Libertadores is the South American version of the Champions League, featuring the best teams from Colombia, Argentina and Brazil.

As mentioned above, most outlets now report that the Hammers have him on loan from second-division Uruguayan club Deportivo Maldonado - who he has never played a game for and who would never realistically have had a chance of persuading him to.

"Inter were scared off by this deal"

So how did this happen? Six months ago, when Inter Milan were on the brink of signing Calleri and loaning him out to fellow Italian club Bologna, a mysterious third party club swooped in and bought Calleri. They registered him with Maldonado who are apparently a specialist club in transferring players from the Americas to Europe in a way which reduces how much those involved will have to pay in tax.

It seems Inter were scared off by this deal as they suddenly left the picture when a move was assumed imminent. Word has it that Barcelona were also sniffing around Calleri very recently, but West Ham managed to beat them to the signing too. Even as a West Ham fan, it’s pretty obvious that these clubs are attractive options. So was it just the fact that the deal was so unclear that these giants were frightened to do it in the same way Manchester United apparently turned down Tevez and Mascherano before they moved to East London?

"an investment fund in a transfer is against the FIFA rules"

Calleri’s real owners are said to be Stellar Group. Jonathan Barrett owns the player consultancy company and represents the likes of Gareth Bale, Luke Shaw and Joe Hart. Barrett featured in the Daily Telegraph’s 20 most powerful football agents in European football. With a pedigree like that, you’d imagine he knows what he’s doing, but one thing is for sure, and that’s that the presence of an investment fund in a transfer is against the FIFA rules.

Unlike first thought, this deal is evidently not as straightforward as Manuel Lanzini’s, who signed for West Ham after impressing during a loan spell in one of David Sullivan’s preferred ‘try before you buy’ transactions. If Calleri impresses like Slaven Bilic has indicated he could, there could be a really complex transfer chase for him and who knows where West Ham would feature in that.

With his international clearance still on hold, it’s possible details of his ownership will become a little clearer, but of all clubs, West Ham will know best to tread carefully.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Learn to appreciate the new direction

My overriding memory of the last Premiership fixture at Upton Park is the crowd bellowing out: ‘Andy Carroll, we want you to stay!’ Jeremy Nicholas (rather embarrassingly) asked the fans to get behind the cause to keep Andy but in truth it was not needed. It seemed every supporter was desperate for the big man to put pen to paper on a permanent deal.

There is great irony in the fact that the chant desperately aiming to persuade Carroll to remain at West Ham was in the same tune as the dreaded ‘we play on the floor’ drone which was so commonly sung by those disgruntled with Sam Allardyce.

Allardyce must be left scratching his head when fickle supporters express displeasure with his style of football, yet sing the praises of the forward who epitomises his tactics. The fact is; if you’re a fan of Andy Carroll then you are inevitably a fan of Sam Allardyce.

If Allardyce and Kevin Nolan were not at the club, a pairing who a section of supporters take issue with, then the England international forward would not be at West Ham United. It is as simple as that.

I think it was obvious that Carroll was left unfulfilled by his time at Liverpool and would’ve liked to have proved doubters wrong. But in a World Cup year, he made the correct decision to join a club with whom he is already settled, who will base their team around him and, vitally, who will play a style of football to suit him perfectly.

Personally I have no problem with Allardyce’s style. It is, of course, direct at times, but with an asset like Carroll it would be foolish to not to utilise his aerial presence.

We should be proud to be one of few clubs preserving the dying breed of the old-fashioned English centre forward rather than internationalising ourselves like everyone else in an effort to become yet another cheap imitation of Barcelona.

With the signing of another England international in Stewart Downing secured, we can now look forward to the prospect of two top established wingers supplying the delivery to our number nine. Surely we don’t have to be ashamed of having an appreciation of that?

I am quite surprised at the amount of supporters who aren’t happy with the Downing signing. The wide-man has been to a World Cup with England and undoubtedly we would’ve all loved to have snapped him up during his time at Middlesbrough and Aston Villa. Two average years does not mean he will not return to great form.

Unsurprisingly there was no such disapproval at the signing of Joe Cole. Cole was arguably a much poorer signing than Downing – he does not really fit into our current tactics, is older and was extremely injury-prone and out-of-form when we signed him.

Understandably the affection and nostalgia surrounding Cole provoked a reaction of sheer delight but, regardless of personal attachments and feelings, Downing will be a far more useful player to us than Cole this season.

Another fresh player in the squad is Ravel Morrison. Although he joined some time ago, his lack of action in a West Ham shirt and high appraisal gives him the intrigue and excitement of a big new signing.

Six goals in pre-season could show that Morrison is finally ready to fulfil the potential which was suggested when Sir Alex Ferguson said he was one of the best players he had ever seen. I am dubious to trust Morrison with his track-record and attitude problem, but he could be very useful if given the chance.

Apparently Allardyce has rejected several loan offers, including one from Birmingham who he was on loan with last year, and so it seems Morrison is finally ready to step into the first-team and prove whether he can make it at the highest level.

Morrison looks to be a fantastic player, and his skill was undeniable at the Pacos de Ferreira home friendly, but we can’t place too much responsibility on the shoulders of a young man who has proved he is liable to get a rush of blood to the head at any moment.

It is interesting that all the players mentioned in this article thus far are English. The English core at West Ham United is undeniably one of the strongest in the league now and something I’m sure all fans will welcome.

Of course it is great to have the exotic foreigner, we have certainly fallen for a few of them over recent years with the likes of Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez, but as an English fan I think it definitely gives you a greater intimacy with the squad when they are of the same nationality.

The sense that they understand the club and its culture is invaluable and something I think will help drive us forward this season to an improved Premiership position and hopefully an impressive cup run.

And, as mentioned, it is a World Cup year. Who’s to say we won’t have another three Lions in Brazil in the Summer? Exciting times are ahead, I hope the persistent moaners can recognise that and embrace the direction we are moving in.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Practicality vs the Barcelona blue-print - West Ham vs Swansea

Today marks the occasion of a meeting between two sides whom many believe to be polar opposites.

Swansea City have been irritatingly praised by the media for their ability to keep possession and pass the ball smoothly ever since they were promoted to the Premiership. Sam Allardyce, whether he is managing Bolton Wanderers, West Ham United or AC Milan, will always be shunned as ‘a long-ball merchant’.

The birth of the modern Barcelona as the greatest footballing side in the world (and the consequent dominance of the Spanish national side) has resulted in a far greater emphasis on ‘style of play’.

Gianfranco Zola tried to adopt a slick passing style here a few years ago and although it had moments of success, the fragility of his team meant David Sullivan and David Gold opted to make a change, deeming it too risky for Zola to continue with the ‘project’. A sensible decision, albeit one executed terribly with the appointment of Avram Grant.

Swansea began their transition to prioritise attractive football with the appointment of Roberto Martinez in 2007. Since then they have remained dedicated to the trend of passing football and young, suit-and-tie coaches in the form of Paulo Sousa, Brendan Rodgers and the manager today, Michael Laudrup.

Swansea’s ‘project’ is thus six years old and began when they were in League One. By beginning in the lower leagues they have had time to remould the club from top to bottom without the desperate fear of losing Premiership status.

Our owners on the other hand, who infamously previously billed relegation as ‘Armageddon’, would rather take a more practical approach than follow the Barcelona blue-print and have thus chosen to favour an experienced, hardened, English manager like Allardyce.

After a disappointing run of form it seems some fans are again beginning to criticise Allardyce. However, I am extremely grateful that we don’t have chairmen like many other clubs who are quick to follow the fashion and become Barcelona wannabes.

Nicola Cortese at Southampton is so desperate to get the sort of praise that Swansea have had that he recently sacked Nigel Adkins, a man who had taken Southampton from League One to just two losses in twelve Premier League games, for a poor man’s Pep Guardiola (Mauricio Pochettino) who can’t even speak English.

Pochettino now has to motivate his players to stave off relegation (in Spanish) whilst introducing a complete change in style of football. Hopefully they are punished for their treatment of Adkins with relegation.

Barcelona is certainly a story for the football purist. They fielded an entirely home-grown team in November and won 4-0. They are widely regarded as the best team ever and sit fifteen points above their arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of the league.

Barcelona’s situation took years of hard work and restructuring, and they are now reaping the rewards of enduring years of Real Madrid-dominance during a time when Barca pumped funds into their academy whilst Madrid opted to splash out on ‘Galacticos’ such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham.

But crucially, Barcelona were a big enough club to sustain a high level of success during their era of restructuring. The Nou Camp already existed (holding nearly 100,000 people), they were able to have some stars such as Carlos Puyol, Rivaldo and Patrick Kluivert and their league was not nearly strong enough for someone to rise up and topple them as a top 3 team.

West Ham are not nearly as big as Barcelona and English football is ruthless enough to mean if we spent a couple of seasons focusing on off-field restructuring rather than on-field matters we would quickly find ourselves relegated.

I’m not saying West Ham will never be in a position in which we could be comfortable enough to put a great deal of focus on our famed ‘academy of football’ and build a side capable of playing attractive football, after all, we could be in a 60,000 seater stadium in a few years, but practicality is the priority for now.

Stick by Big Sam during this wobbly period; anyone must admit that this is one of our strongest squads for many years. Never have we had so many options in midfield (I’m hoping Momo Diame is still a West Ham player by the time you are reading this). And I’m confident that the defence will become efficient again under the guidance of Allardyce and the immense Winston Reid.

Today we may be outclassed at times but I’m confident we will dominate periods and probably get a result today. If Gold and Sullivan had made a Southampton-like decision and appointed someone to play Swansea at their own game then I believe we would sink without a trace.

Some fans should learn to appreciate our current team rather than continually moaning about tactics. Every team hits a sticky patch in the Premiership and we must remember that this is our first season back in the top flight! It would be extremely unusual for us to effortlessly float into a European spot as many seem to expect us to.

Trust in Big Sam and over the next few years we will rise above those more interested in uncovering the next Lionel Messi than getting results on the pitch.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Could the end be near for the deceitful Arsene Wenger and his hopeless Gunners

The stubborn Mr. Arsene Wenger today stressed how Arsenal wouldn’t “panic into spending big”. Is this sensible in today’s inflated market or just another excuse for a disappointing summer with a severe lack of signings? The Gunners are in danger of slipping out of England’s elite sides as the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester City and their bitter, north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur traditionally attempt to “gatecrash the top four”. With Tottenham making the breakthrough during the most recent campaign, at the expense of Liverpool, both them and City are showing little signs of slowing down in terms of spending and unless Arsenal react it won’t be long until they’re overtaken as well.

Wenger could certainly be accused of sporting an oversized ego in times of late with his constant dismissal of the transfer market. Acquiring youngsters at a young age and blending them carefully into a squad of capable footballers is an admirable plan and one which keeps the club financially sound (a certain priority in these worrying economical times for football). However, this does involve poaching young players from other professional clubs, a particularly controversial action. How stealing young prospects from clubs who employ scouts to complete the gruelling task of choosing a few out of thousands is ethically correct is beyond me and their should be a minimum transfer age.

An example of this is young, Fran Merida. Sneakily plucked from Barcelona’s academy (a similar transfer to that of Cesc Fabregas’) at the tender age of sixteen; he was gullibly enticed by the prospect of the premier league and signed a contract for the deceitful Mr. Wenger. This caused chaos in sporting law and it must have been an extremely stressful period for Merida as two monstrous clubs engaged in legal battle. Eventually Merida’s contract was deemed legitimate and all three parties could move on. This summer, Merida has been released at the age of 20, finding first team opportunities scarce (he made only 6 appearances for Arsenal), he’s now back in Spain with Atletico Madrid practically restarting his career with minimal experience for a player of his age. Surely Merida would have been better off remaining under the expertise of Barcelona? This is just one career that Wenger has arguably hindered.

Of course some moves do work out; step forward Cesc Fabregas. Fabregas is unique in the way he’s a genuine success story from Arsenal‘s bag of stolen goods, he’s matured into a player of superb ability, a club captain and a Spanish international. However, despite an arguably successful period at Arsenal on a personal level for Fabrgeas, the Londoners have only collected one major trophy (the F.A. Cup) during his, remarkably, 7 years at the club. After being promised a key role in a European giant on a number of occasions, Fabregas has become alienated by the club’s transfer policy and lack of immediate ambition and is finally forcing his way out of the club. With a return to his supported club, Barcelona a romantic proposition and the increased likelihood of trophies, no one can blame Fabregas for wanting to leave.

But Arsenal are continually denying him this right. Yes he is under contract and the Gunners have the right to hold out for as much money as they can grab but can’t Wenger see this is another prosperous career he is in danger of ruining? It’s embarrassing for Arsenal and risks destroying a decent relationship previously enjoyed by club and player. What’s the point of uncovering a rough diamond at a young age if you’re not willing to build a sufficient squad around him? Can’t Wenger see it was when he had the steal and determination of the likes of Patrick Viera in his squad that he won trophies? Why does he ignorantly waste opportunities for success by not emulating this and opening his wallet?

It’s clear Arsenal don’t even restrain from spending on experience in order to be the big boys in terms of youth investment. Cristiano Ronaldo recently revealed he “nearly joined Arsenal” and claims the reason he went to Manchester United is because “they gave me a better offer”. What an investment that was, and now Untied have had a number of trophy-rich, successful seasons from him and recouped an astounding eighty million pounds. Maybe if Wenger had dipped a bit deeper it could’ve been Arsenal who had enjoyed such success in recent years.

Admittedly last season was encouraging for Arsenal. Hotly tipped to drop from the top four, they were aided by a dismal display from Liverpool and some very good runs of form themselves. With a genuine shot at the title and the injury to key striker Robin Van Persie a major hindrance to these ambitions, it was obvious fire power was required in January. Nothing. Yet again, in typically arrogant fashion Wenger continued with the squad he had and his side withered away into nothingness as the premier league climaxed. Wenger’s worrying tendency to consider himself as ‘looking out for the club’ must be frustrating for Arsenal fans as they pay extortionate amounts for tickets in the hope of signing some genuine stars, only to find Wenger believes the answer to his undeniable defensive problems is freebie, Notts County veteran, Sol Campbell. How exciting.

Evidently the market of expired contracts is a level above that of recent years on this occasion and Wenger is likely to raid it. With Marouane Chamakh already added to the squad, it’s possible someone like Joe Cole will be acquired free of charge. But with high competition, it remains to be seen whether Arsenal will have the muscle to push the deal through or allow him to slip from their grasps as Ronaldo did all those years ago. I’m sure Arsenal fans would be delighted with the signing of Cole, not only because he’s an outstanding footballer, but also because he’s British. Wenger continually ignores the country’s uncomfortable stance with his exotic squad and at times it appears he restrains from purchasing British talent in an attempt to show he won’t bow down to anyone, unable to accept that perhaps it is he who is in the wrong. But with Campbell and William Gallas on the outgoing list in the department of contract expiries, Arsenal will need to strengthen their squad more than ever before in the defensive sector and if Wenger’s ambitions match that of a club of Arsenal’s stature, a quality goalkeeper is also required.

In my opinion, next season has the ability to make or break Wenger and it’s likely another season with an absence of silverware will see the Arsenal fans finally run out of patience with the Frenchman. If influential players like Gallas and Fabregas move on and are not replaced in addition to extra recruitments due to Wenger’s inexcusable vanity, it won’t be long until the pressure starts mounting. And don’t tell me he “did not see it” coming.

Could Liverpool be relegated? And West Ham finally announce their man

So that’s it then; the conventional managerial swap-shop has well and truly begun and whilst our primary focus is held within the grasp of the monstrous world cup, a tournament which continues to dominate the globe with it’s repetitive advertising campaigns and tyrannize our media, there is never a dull moment in terms of the premier league. Half an eye of each football supporter will still be placed firmly on their club’s prestigious competition in hope of some encouraging, exciting transfer action prior to the upcoming campaign.
Gianfranco Zola was the first victim of the endless sacking spree that the premiership now experiences. It seems like many weeks ago we considered the charming Italian a top-flight manager and witnessed him admirably handing coffee to snarling journalists outside his home. Even then it appeared inevitable that Mr. Avram Grant would be his successor and, following weeks of little action at Upton Park, the official announcement was finally made this week, with the deal still subject to a work permit. Nothing’s ever easy at West Ham United.
As a West Ham fan, I’m content but uninspired by this appointment. In reality I believe Grant will be a ‘hit or miss’ employment despite the West Ham co-owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, craving ‘stability‘. He changed little or nothing when taking over a Chelsea side which was practically complete following the expert tuition of Jose Mourinho. Although this could suggest the man doesn’t suffer from an ego issue, which could not be said about his world-class predecessor, it also displays a lack of tactical knowledge, and although taking the side to a champions league final and having a chance to win the premiership on the final day of the season is a decent achievement, I feel it would be deceitful to judge him on this. Senior players including Frank Lampard and John Terry could’ve managed that group of players alone and therefore Grant’s presence could merely have been to supervise the squad.
Taking the Portsmouth job under those financial conditions shows how desperate Grant was for a premier league job. If he really was a top manager, why didn’t he wait for a more secure opportunity? Allowing Portsmouth to slip into the realms of relegation would’ve been deemed acceptable by anyone’s standards considering the untenable circumstances, and taking the side to an FA Cup final was a real eye-catcher on Grant’s CV, but being a constant underdog placed little pressure on the manager or his players. They were able to play every game with a care-free attitude of admirable passion, if they lost, then it was to be expected, if they won, it was a shocker and an outstanding achievement. Grant had nothing to lose and his reputation could only increase during his time at Pompey, so if you did feel sorry for him in that ridiculous job, you shouldn’t, it was a blessing in disguise, and maybe Grant knew this when he took the job. It was the perfect stepping stone to a solid premiership club.
And now we infernally refer to the man as ‘experienced’ - quite incredible for someone with two premiership seasons to his name. I hope he proves me wrong and has been the mastermind he’s perceived as by the outsider, but I certainly don’t consider this a perfect appointment. Another manager to have parted company with his club is Senor Rafa Benitez. After accepting a pay-off from the infamous Hicks and Gillette duo the scousers are now looking for a new man with Martin O’Neill and Roy Hodgson top of the list after Guus Hiddink effectively ruled himself out.
Benietez name is still thrown around with that of genuine quality and top European clubs including Juventus are perpetually chasing his signature, personally I don’t understand why. Yes he won the champions league in his first year which was a fantastic achievement but if he had done poorly that year it would’ve been blamed on the fact it was still Gerard Houllier’s team so to be totally sure on Benietez’s quality, perhaps we should assess it on the following years. Rafa was 3rd in the net spending list over the years, “this is a fact” (his words, not mine) and he still manages to have an unbalanced squad incapable of fulfilling their potential at this point. Liverpool should certainly have taken part in a title race competition last season and yet they scraped into the Europa League. An unthinkable plight for a club who has spent that much on transfers, with such great heritage and a supposedly ’world-class’ manager.
The sickly exit of Benietez was dignified and the supportive nature of the Anfield fans mean they will reminisce his reign fondly. The sentimental inclusion of, "Thank you so much once more and always remember: You'll never walk alone" was extremely cheesy but then the eternal love affairs involved in this club and it’s fans always tend to be.
Worrying signs of Kenny Dalglish returning to the club on a permanent basis loom. The club will continue to drop if it takes the Newcastle United approach of forcing decisions themselves and making sure it’s a manager who “knows the club”, honourable actions with the club at heart which saw them, oh; relegated. It’s unthinkable right now but so was a 7th place finish in the previous year - the prospect of trophies with Mourinho and Real Madrid must be a tempting offer for Steven Gerrard and I’m sure Fernando Torres has one eye on linking up with his national strike partner, David Villa at Barcelona.
So my advice to Liverpool fans would be; don’t be tempted to take the decisions of the club upon yourself, this worrying period for a great club with immense history and heritage means that all decisions need to be made firmly with the head and not with the heart. A theory which will probably, and must be taken on by all clubs in this financial climate and one that threatens to ruin the romance of the game, but for now, it’s for the best.