Julien Faubert's surprise move from West Ham to Real Madrid on
loan has provoked a furore at the Spanish club.
Faubert is one of eight players who have departed Upton Park
during the January transfer window but manager Gianfranco Zola will
be happy that only one, Craig Bellamy, was a big-name player.
Faubert's late move to the Bernabeu was a surprise and it has
now emerged that the club's sporting director, former Yugoslav
international Predrag Mijatovic, is fuming at the temporary
deal.
Mijatovic believes that Faubert, who never managed to command a
regular first-team spot at West Ham, Is not good enough to play for
the Spanish giants.
Mijatovic's main quarrel is said to be with Real's technical
secretary, Miguel Angel Portugal, who masterminded the deal.
The transfer deadline day ended quietly for West Ham with only
Calum Davenport going out on loan to Sunderland.
They were looking possibly at signing South African defender
Bryce Moon over from Panathinaikos but a deal was not possible and
Upton Park officials insisted they were under no pressure if terms
could not be agreed.
Zola will breathe a sigh of relief that the window has now
closed and, with the exception of Bellamy, he has been as good as
his word and managed to keep all his high-profile players.
