West Ham have pulled out of the race for Manchester City starlet Kelechi Iheancho …on the orders of Slaven Bilic.

ClaretandHugh has learned within the last few minutes that the club – having done a deal – saw it snubbed by Bilic at the eleventh hour

David Sullivan had agreed a deal with both City and the player but that manager Bilic pulled the plug at the last minute.

Just as the club believed they had landed their coup – having agreed to a buy back clause – Bilic decided that the player was unproven and too much of a risk.

There can be little doubt that should Iheanacho turn out to be a big success – now probably at Leicester City – Bilic could be in a lot of trouble particularly after his insistence that Simone Zaza was the man he needed at the London Stadium last season!

It’s the second blow for the Irons who saw Olivier Giroud pull out of talks earlier in the day.