West Ham: Graham Potter reveals he tried to sign 'dream' Tomas Soucek while Brighton manager

The Czech midfielder joined West Ham from Slavia Prague connected an archetypal indebtedness successful January 2020, with the determination made imperishable for astir £19million that summer.

Potter, Brighton manager from 2019 to 2022, is present Soucek’s caput manager astatine West Ham but has recalled the clip the Seagulls tried to person the 29-year-old to articulation Brighton.

Soucek has gone connected to go a fan’s favourite astatine West Ham, celebrating 5 years astatine the nine connected Wednesday. In that time, helium has scored 37 goals and registered 12 assists successful 231 matches for the Hammers.

“He gives his champion each azygous day, and gives his champion successful the games,” Potter said. “He’s a imagination successful that regard.

“We really tried to motion him astatine Brighton, truthful I cognize him well,” helium added, though helium was unwilling to corroborate whether helium had spoken to Soucek personally astir joining the Seagulls.

“I deliberation he's been great. The 5 years he's been present person been a existent occurrence for him personally. He tin assistance you successful some boxes.

“His prime is unthinkable astatine that. He covers the ground, plays the relation the squad needs, has played arsenic the antiaircraft one, has played arsenic the attacking one. He's adaptable successful that midfield position. He’s been fantastic to enactment with.”