Carlton Cole was left screaming down the phone at manager Sam Allardyce last night after his move to West Brom fell through with only minutes to go on Deadline Day.
The 31-year-old striker had agreed terms to an 18-month contract at the Hawthornes, and a £500,000 deal had been agreed with West Ham – provided they could draft in a replacement.
They first tried to recall Mauro Zarate from his loan move at QPR, with the hoops then signing winger Matt Jarvis on loan until the end of the season, but the Premier League ruled this to be an illegal transaction, so this ‘swap’ could not be completed.
The Hammers then tried to sign striker Emmanuel Adebayor on loan from rivals Tottenham. They had agreed the financial part of the deal with Spurs, and the player wanted the move, but Daniel Levy vetoed the deal late in the window because he didn’t want to do business with a league rival.
This led to fan-favourite Cole having to return to West Ham until the summer, when his contract is up, and he was not best pleased.
Only seen as a bit-part player at West Ham, but would’ve been a main man at West Brom, Cole told Allardyce “You’re f****** wrecking my career!”
When everyone is fit, Cole is seen at the fourth choice striker at Upton Park, but with an injury to Andy Carroll and the uncertainty surrounding Diafra Sakho at the moment, Cole could be in for a run in the side in the coming weeks.
