West Ham are facing a crisis after their head of player recruitment was suspended following allegations of racism and unlawful discrimination.
Senior players reacted with bemusement to the club’s messy end to the transfer window and remarks by Karren Brady were said to have scuppered a deal to sign Islam Slimani from Leicester.
A report in the Daily Mail alleged that Tony Henry told an agent West Ham wanted to limit the number of African players in their squad.
Henry is considering his position after being suspended by West Ham pending an investigation that will be carried out by a barrister. The Football Association is also investigating the matter.
Henry, a key ally of David Moyes, had spent deadline day unsuccessfully trying to secure a deal for Anderlecht’s Leander Dendoncker.
The allegations against Henry were unsurprisingly a hot topic in the West Ham dressing room on Thursday. The club has seven players of African descent and it is understood there is serious unhappiness within the squad.
One player has expressed his dismay in private to the Guardian, questioning how such views can be expressed in 2018, and Cheikhou Kouyaté, the Senegalese midfielder, made his feelings clear by posting a selfie on Instagram with the caption.
Figures close to Henry say he is not racist and on Thursday he sought to repair his relationship with members of the squad.
West Ham sold two African players this week. Their relationship with Diafra Sakho had deteriorated long before they sold the Senegalese striker to Rennes, and they felt they had no option but to allow André Ayew to return to Swansea City for an initial £18m on Wednesday after the Ghanaian forward demanded to leave.
Sakho had not played since 16 December because of a knee injury and Ayew had been out since 16 January with a hamstring problem. Both players passed medicals at their new clubs.
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