West Ham boss Moyes shares true feelings on Ashby transfer to Newcastle

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West Ham United coach David Moyes admits he wanted to keep Harrison Ashby before his transfer to Newcastle United. The right-back sealed a deadline day move to St James’ Park.

The Magpies agreed a deal worth up to £3m after add-ons to sign Ashby from the Irons on Tuesday. He now provides Toon boss Eddie Howe with cover for Kieran Trippier on a long-term contract. The switch also offers the 21-year-old a quicker route to first-team football.

Ashby only amassed seven senior appearances in claret-and-blue across all competitions in the past three seasons. Moyes offered the Irons product his first-team debut in September 2020 in an EFL Cup tie with Charlton Athletic. But further chances proved hard to come by.

West Ham also faced the prospect of losing Ashby for nominal compensation at the end of the season. The Milton Keynes native was set to be out of contract at the London Stadium this June. So, the Hammers sought to secure a greater fee in January with Newcastle keen.

The Irons made efforts to convince Ashby to stay in east London and offered the Scotland U21 talent fresh terms. Chronicle Live reports West Ham blocked Ashby from a transfer to Newcastle last summer. But he wanted to join the Toon so turned down an improved deal.

West Ham boss Moyes admits he did not want Ashby to transfer to Newcastle

Ashby will now hope he earns chances to show his worth in black-and-white after just two appearances this season. Moyes only fielded the defender during two of the Irons’ Europa Conference League fixtures. He also only started him once during a qualifier on August 18.

The right-back’s other appearance came in a 24-minute came during the Hammers’ final Group B fixture. Yet Moyes admits he was still holding out hope that West Ham and Ashby would find an agreement over a new contract and he would reject a transfer to Newcastle.

“I was hoping he would stay but we couldn’t get him to stay,” Moyes noted, via quotes by football.london. “We were always going to find it difficult. I like him. We just couldn’t get a way of keeping him.”