'Why did it fail?' - Former West Ham target on failed move to London Stadium

The Tajikistan head coach Petar Segrt has opened up on his failed move to West Ham in the 2010/11 season. The Croat reportedly had the chance to team up with Avram Grant when the 68-year-old took over in Stratford in the summer of 2010 and was in contention to become the former Chelsea boss’s assistant. Segrt also made the trip to London to secure the move but has claimed that greedy agents got in the way of the deal.

The 57-year-old recently guided Tajikistan to the quarter-final of the Asian Cup earlier this year and has spoken to the Croatian publication Vecernji on his disappointment at the failed move.

Reportedly, Segrt was set to join Grant in 2010 but after the Croat’s agents got involved and attempted to up his asking price, West Ham rejected the deal and Zeljko Petrovic ended up joining the club instead - evidently a situation which still upsets Segrt 14 years later.

Speaking to the publication, Segrt was asked whether he was set to join West Ham to which he replied: “Yes, and that was practically all agreed with the then manager Avram Grant, I was already in London preparing training sessions. I would be the coach in charge of work on the field, and Grant would lead the team and perform other tasks within the manager’s competence.

”Why did it fail? Because the agents who represented me in that business wanted to raise my salary by £300k overnight, which the club did not agree to. So, I was left without that engagement, and West Ham hired Željko Petrović instead of me.”

Avram Grant joined the Irons for only one season, following season with Chelsea and Portsmouth. The Israeli manager initially signed a four-year deal but a dismal start to the season saw the Irons sit at the bottom of the table with just two Premier League wins.

Despite becoming quarter-finalists in the Football League Cup for the first time since 1989/90, following a 4-0 win over Manchester United, Grant was sacked following the Irons 3-2 defeat to Wigan Athletic which ensured their relegation from the Premier League.