Like many West Ham fans, I couldn’t resist indulging in a bit of conspiracy theorising when I noticed agent Will Salthouse seated next to David Sullivan.
The Hammers chairman’s favourite dealmaker was pictured deep in conversation on his mobile phone alongside the Irons chairman during the Brighton match and like many others, I assumed he’d been tasked with finding West Ham’s next striker.
Salthouse, of course, heads Unique Sports Group, which represents a significant list of clients, many familiar to football fans. Intrigued, I decided to investigate their roster, hoping to get an early hint at who West Ham’s next centre-forward might be.
A top source at the London Stadium told Claret and Hugh last week that a top-quality striker was a priority signing for the club. With my detective hat firmly on, I scrutinised the USG client list in search of the elusive forward.
To my surprise, there wasn’t a striker who could convincingly be called “top class.” The list includes familiar names, some already on West Ham’s books, but the lack of strikers was glaring.
Brennan Johnson and Anthony Gordon are among Salthouse’s most valuable clients, but neither is a striker nor available for transfer. The perennially injured Callum Wilson features, but the best “striker” I could find was Cameron Archer—and he can’t even get into Southampton’s team (watch him score on Boxing Day now that I’ve said this).
Could Salthouse’s presence alongside Sullivan have nothing to do with the January transfer window? Possibly. However, one name on the Unique Sports client list did catch my attention—and it wasn’t a player.
Will Salthouse represents up-and-coming manager and Hammers fan Will Still. Now there’s a thought…
