Alaves defender Guillermo Maripan admits it is ‘a little awkward’ that his proposed move away from the club has not materialised this summer.
Maripan – who represented Chile at this summer’s Copa America tournament – has a €25m release clause in his contract and was strongly linked with a move to West Ham this summer.
Maripan is a compatriot of Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini while Director of Football Mario Husillos was said to have been monitoring the Spain-based defender.
“I felt a little awkward, because I would prefer that these things about transfers are resolved quickly,” Maripan confessed, as cited by El Mundo Deportivo.
“I only know that today I am a Alaves player, that my mind is here one hundred percent and that is what I have made known to the Coach and my teammates.
“Today I am an Alaves player and that's how I feel; I would like to answer that for sure, but many things happen in football.”
The 24-year-old joined the Basque club from Universidad Catolica in Chile in 2017 with transfermarkt reporting his value at €8m.
