“I’m not a scout” – Manager fuming about West Ham agreement

Taty Castellanos made his debut for West Ham in their loss to Nottingham Forest earlier this week.

This came just a day after he was announced as a new signing, with Lazio earning about €30m from the sale. They’ve signed RB Salzburg’s Petar Ratkov as replacement, with the striking joining for €13m.

Despite all this, not everyone at the Italian side is happy. Even if it helps them emerge from a difficult financial situation, Maurizio Sarri has again taken a shot at the dealings.

He sent a dig a few days ago, saying Lazio could have been better prepared.

After the 2-2 draw against Fiorentina, Sarri made it clear he doesn’t really know who the new arrival is.

He said – relayed by Calciomercato IT: “I’m not a scout, I don’t follow the Austrian league, he’s a player I don’t know. We’ll see, he’ll definitely be a good player, and if the club signed him, they must have had their reasons. It wasn’t a criticism, it’s literal.

“There’s no time to watch a hundred leagues, that’s what scouts and scouts are for. I was at Chelsea, and there were more than 30.”

West Ham will hope Sarri’s anger is justified

The media specifically questioned Sarri on the departures of Castellanos to West Ham and Guendouzi to Fenerbahçe.

He responded: “They were very important players for us. We’re moving into a high-level environment. If wage offers come in that we can’t match or even come close to, it’s clear the player will leave.”

This is perhaps indicative that West Ham wages were a big reason behind Castellanos’ move.

Lazio aren’t known for paying massive salaries and they don’t always spend big. They’re more synonymous with signing lesser-known talents and bringing most out of them. Ratkov is a classic example of that.

That is, unfortunately, the scenario Sarri finds himself in. He can be annoyed about it but considering the club’s financial scenario, they can’t be spending over the top at this point.

West Ham will now hope the 27-year-old can show why Sarri is so annoyed.