There was no physical confrontation between West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui and Mohammed Kudus, according to The Athletic journalist Roshane Thomas.

It has been reported that the pair squared up against each other following Lopetegui’s decision to substitute the player at half-time against Brentford last weekend. However, Thomas says sources have confirmed to him that there was no such incident:

“Those in Kudus’s inner circle, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect relationships like all those in this article, have denied that he and Lopetegui had to be separated.”

There are already fears among fans that Lopetegui has lost the dressing room but this will assure them that the situation has not deteriorated to the level that some have suggested.

What Lopetegui said about Kudus

The Spaniard did not directly address the Kudus incident during his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon.

Lopetegui actually asked for his translator to repeat the question about Kudus’s substitution at half-time, and his response didn’t give that much away, simply stating that it  “it’s important the team plays well, rather than one or two players.”

Some may interpret that as saying that no player is bigger than the team but that would be putting words in his mouth.

The West Ham star has been linked with a switch to Arsenal

After the player was pictured at the Emirates watching Arsenal’s match against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night, there were inevitably going to be transfer links.

Lopetegui’s remarks at his press conference will also not quell any speculation that Kudus could be on the move in a future transfer window.

Of course, with his £85m release clause said to be reactivated next summer, the club cannot control what happens if he is the subject of an offer at the end of the season.

Find out who is in West Ham’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here