David Sullivan ‘completely undermines’ Nuno as he intervenes with West Ham transfer
David Sullivan has reportedly stepped in on the case of Callum Wilson after the latest developments at West Ham.
West Ham and Wilson were in discussions around terminating his contract early, after the forward arrived on a free transfer last summer.
News of the talks was met by some confusion, given the 33-year-old’s five goals for the Hammers this season.
And when Wilson scored the winner as West Ham beat Tottenham 2-1 on Saturday, many expressed their dismay at the idea that he could leave this month.
Football Insider revealed on Friday that Ipswich Town are among those looking to sign Wilson if he does depart, with Celtic and Everton also in the race.
David Sullivan attempts to convince Callum Wilson
Wilson’s arrival in the summer was met with huge dismay among West Ham fans. The striker had left Newcastle United on the back of a series of injuries, and at 33, was seen as a cheap option for Sullivan.
But the Englishman has looked anything but cheap, popping up with key moments for a team that have found them very hard to come by.
| Callum Wilson | Premier League 2025-26 |
| Appearances | 18 |
| Starts | 8 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Successful dribbles | 10 |
| Duels won | 35 |
Wilson’s first goal came against Nottingham Forest in August, but he would struggle for minutes under Graham Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo, too, until Niclas Fullkrug was struck down by injury.
His return to the team saw him score three goals in two games as the Hammers found some form, but there remains a feeling that Nuno is not convinced.
Wilson was dropped again for much of December, and looked set to leave until he bundled in the winner on Saturday, having spent just one minute on the pitch.
ExWHUEmployee reported on Monday that West Ham have now stepped in to attempt to keep the forward at the club, with Sullivan pushing Nuno to keep him.
“David Sullivan has intervened with the ongoing situation and told the manager he must keep him until the end of the season,” the insider said.
He added: “How that has gone down with the manager is unknown but it does seem to be the correct decision although of course it does completely undermine the manager.”
What Nuno Espirito Santo said about Wilson after winner
Wilson’s goal on Saturday was, by no means, a classic. Guglielmo Vicario flapped at Ollie Scarles‘ cross, allowing the ball to bounce inside the Tottenham box.
There, it bounced off the arm of Djed Spence before hitting the West Ham striker, who made sure it was in by flicking it into the roof of the net.
It was not pretty, but it was a goal that could well keep the Hammers up at the end of the season – the type of goal Wilson can score more of.
“We support them all that we can,” Nuno said after the game. “Callum [Wilson] came in, with all these rumours going around, he came in and gave us the winning goal. So we are here to help.
“All the players must work. We are in a tough situation but we believe, and we have to keep going and working hard and believing more.”