One agent called the deal with USM "a bit too cozy."West Ham
West Ham left itself open to "accusations of a conflict of interest" after allowing a sports management agency to become the shirt sponsor of its Women's Super League team, according to Matt Lawton of the London DAILY MAIL. Unique Sports Management appears to have five members of Manuel Pellegrini's first-team squad as clients and, according to information published by the FA last year, was "involved in five transactions with the club" between February 1, 2017, and January 31, 2018. The partnership with the women's team "has raised fears among agents of other players at the club over what they consider to be the growing influence" of USM CEO Will Salthouse. A "regular in the directors' box" at London Stadium, Salthouse has a "strong relationship" with West Ham co-Chair David Sullivan as well as his sons, David Jr. and Jack. The self-styled "youngest boss in British women's football" and a central figure in a BBC documentary series following the West Ham women's team, 19-year-old Jack "is the managing director and appears to be behind the decision to have USM as a second sponsor on the shirts." Two agents admitted that the deal "makes them nervous." One of them claimed it was a "conflict of interest," adding, "It just feels a bit too cozy" (DAILY MAIL, 1/7).
