West Ham striker Jonathan Calleri has commented on his situation at the club.
West Ham United flop Jonathan Calleri has told ESPN Radio that manager Slaven Bilic isn’t using him, because he thinks he must adapt to English football.
With the Hammers looking for striking reinforcements over the summer, they were left frustrated in their attempts to land a big-name attacker – and ended up setting for a couple of loan deals.
West Ham United’s Jonathan Calleri shoots wide
Argentinian hitman Calleri joined on a season-long loan deal from Deportivo Maldonado, before Italian striker Simone Zaza signed a loan deal from Juventus.
Neither have impressed or even scored a goal in the Premier League so far, but Calleri did arrive in East London with some cautious optimism based on his record in South America.
The 23-year-old hit 23 goals in 59 games for Boca Juniors before joining Sao Paulo on loan from Deportivo Maldonado, and another 16 goals in 31 games saw him become a West Ham target.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
The Hammers did land Calleri, but his time in England has been miserable so far. He’s played just 130 minutes of Premier League action across six substitute appearances, and has started just three games in all competitions.
The Sun recently claimed that West Ham could terminate Calleri’s loan deal in January as they search for other strikers, and the Argentinian has now commented on his own situation.
Speaking to ESPN Radio, as quoted by their official Twitter account, Calleri revealed that manager Bilic isn’t using him as he feels the striker needs to adapt to English football – and welcomed interest from Champions League side Sevilla, as Estadio Deportivo recently claimed that he’s an option for the Spaniards.
“The West Ham coach is not taking me into account because he thinks I need adaptation,” said Calleri. “If Sevilla want me, they’re welcome. I keep it to one side, It’s handled by my agent,” he added.
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