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Sebastien Haller has admitted that he felt “trapped” at West Ham after David Moyes arrived, but relived the manager of blame for his exit.

Haller arrived in east London from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2019 for a club-record £45million. Then-manager Manuel Pellegrini convinced the Hammers to spend big to bolster the club’s front line.

Despite a fairly strong start under Pellegrini in the 2019/20 season with five Premier League goals and one assist, the Chilean manager got the sack.

And from there, Moyes installed Michail Antonio as his favoured No. 9. The 31-year-old has impressed as the main man up front under Moyes.

Haller, meanwhile, left West Ham for Ajax in January 2021, handing the Hammers a £25million loss in the process.

What’s more, Haller has become one of the deadliest forwards in Europe since his move, netting 41 goals in 51 games for Ajax. Indeed, he scored in all six Champions League group stage games this season.

Speaking to The Guardian about his recent journey, the Ivory Coast international said: “I was brought in by Manuel Pellegrini but then David Moyes came and we got in a situation where we were … like trapped together.

“I was playing in a system that I didn’t really enjoy. Moyes preferred someone like Antonio up front, and I’m super happy he’s doing so well; I am for all the guys at West Ham.

“I had a good time there with them but I was also really mad at the situation, [with] the way we were playing, the way I was playing, the way I was feeling …”

However, Haller added that off-field issues also factored into his struggles for West Ham. He had to stay in a hotel and then an apartment with his wife, who then gave birth to their son, who suffered with reflux.

As a result, Haller “had to think for a long time” about asking for a change of scenery.

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“In the end I wanted to enjoy football,” he said. “I thought: ‘Why am I thinking what other people think?’ They want to comment on everything they see, even if they don’t know about the situation. This is not their life, it’s my life. You can say: ‘Look at me, I play for a Premier League club, though I’m always on the bench.’”

But Haller added on Moyes’ role in talks: “I don’t want to blame David. Sometimes a style of play doesn’t suit a player and I wasn’t the striker he needed. And I also wasn’t his signing. If you bring in players [as a manager] that cost money for the club, you need to show that you didn’t make a mistake.”

West Ham move on from Haller

West Ham had to accept a financial loss on Haller, but they have yet to replace him.

Antonio continues to perform a solid role, while versatile forward Jarrod Bowen has stepped up to become Moyes’ star man this season with 12 and 11 assists.

West Ham reportedly came close to signing Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata in this season’s January transfer window.

But while they completed their relevant paperwork, Atalanta did not get their side of the deal done before the deadline.

As a result, a new attacking signing has become a priority for the summer.

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