Sebastien Haller has described leaving West Ham as a “gift”.
Signed for £45m in the summer of 2019, the Ivory Coast international struggled to live up to such a big fee, scoring only 14 times in 54 games.
While suggesting Haller was an utter flop would be too much perhaps, few doubt he was one of many big-money signings to have failed to live up to the hype West Ham made under Manuel Pellegrini’s stewardship.
Life at Ajax, however, has proven far more fruitful.
Haller has scored 45 times in 56 appearances thus far and currently trails only Robert Lewandowski in the Champions League charts this season with 11 in 7 outings.
Reflecting on his success on the grandest of stages, West Ham boss David Moyes recently moved to praise Haller for his contribution in helping the team stay in the Premier League before embarking on their recent upward trajectory.
Haller, however, told Westtbasis that he “was aware” he had “no prospects” under the Scotsman.
“I was just unlucky with a coach who had a different idea,” he said.
“My style of play just didn’t fit his game system. Accordingly, I was aware that I had no prospects and would therefore hardly be used.
“He needed a different type of striker. Sitting on the bench was not allowed to become a permanent conditions. Then, the offer from Ajax came suddenly, which I saw as a gift. An opportunity that I absolutely wanted to seize and that I have not regretted for a second.”
