A Wolverhampton Wanderers chief has said some of the club’s ungrateful fans will miss Max Kilman now that he has joined West Ham.
West Ham formally announced the capture of Max Kilman from Wolves on Saturday.
The 27-year-old London-born star was the prime central defensive target of new West Ham head coach – and former Wolves boss – Julen Lopetegui.
After over two weeks of negotiations and two rejected bids, West Ham sealed the deal at a reported £40m with a third offer that did not include any add-ons.
Kilman has signed a seven-year deal at the London Stadium and is expected to be in the running to be West Ham’s new skipper.
Signing the captain of a rival Premier League club in the prime of their career is rare. And it’s certainly not cheap, especially when they are English.
£40m Kilman fee raises eyebrows at Wolves and West Ham
Some top clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Napoli have all been linked with the ball-carrying centre-back in the recent past.
In fact Napoli saw a bid rejected for Kilman last year.
Yet some Hammers fans have raised doubts about Kilman’s quality and the size of the fee.
Much of that seems to stem from seeing some Wolves fans celebrating the sale of their captain on social media.
Hammers News spoke to a top Wolves expert and journalist who allayed any fears over Kilman with an in-depth take on the deal.
Tom Procter told Hammers News that there has been criticism from Wolves fans towards Kilman. But he feels it has been ‘harsh and over the top’.
Now a Wolves chief says ungrateful fans will miss Kilman after his move to West Ham.
Wolves chief says fans will miss Kilman after West Ham move
They say sometimes in life you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.
And that is the message from Wolverhampton Wanderers’ sporting director Matt Hobbs to supporters after waxing lyrical about Kilman in a lengthy farewell message.
“It’s bittersweet for me, having brought Max in, but it feels like a deal which works for everybody,” Hobbs said on the club’s website.
“He’s unbelievably laid back and has always been a man of few words. He had a tough couple of years personally, but the way he handled it and didn’t let it affect him leaves you slightly in awe. He’s someone you can’t help but root for.
“I don’t know anyone at the club who would have a negative word about him. Maybe people will realise what he did on the pitch more now he’s left than when he was here…
‘He doesn’t deserve anything but our best wishes’
“He doesn’t deserve to leave with anything but our best wishes. He’s not one who’s been on the phone to me about leaving, he was calm and trusted people would make the right decisions. For 36 games of the season I hope he does really well. He feels like one of our own, so it’s tough Max going, but I can be equally excited about moving the club forward, which is all I’m ever trying to do.”
The tough couple of years Kilman has had on a personal level Hobbs mentioned presumably relates to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Kilman’s parents are of Russian and Ukrainian heritage, which would have made him eligible to play international football for either of those countries.
Indeed back in March 2021, Ukraine coach and legend Andriy Shevchenko announced he had formally asked FIFA to switch Kilman’s national allegiance to Ukraine.
But FIFA rejected the application, confirming that his appearances for England in competitive futsal matches ties him to playing for England in any form of football.
With England short of quality central defenders, making future Three Lions squads alongside new West Ham teammate Jarrod Bowen will undoubtedly now be a big goal for Kilman.
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