West Ham set to sue Sporting Lisbon as fallout from their failed transfer for William Carvalho continues

Sullivan voiced his displeasure at the Portuguese club, claiming they never gave West Ham enough time for a medical when finally agreeing to sell the midfielder.

It is a version disputed by Saraiva who issued a lengthy Facebook post slating Sullivan.

Saraiva said: “David Sullivan lies. At Sporting Clube de Portugal, as has already been said by our president, no proposal was made for our player William Carvalho.

“The football industry is not the set of an adult film in which all obscenities are allowed.

“So the boss of a club demands a lot more than this intellectual pornography.

“Mr David Sullivan has a duty to prove what he says.

“That is why Sporting Clube de Portugal challenges him to publicly show the proposals he claims to have been made as well as the evidence that Sporting CP received them.”

Sullivan’s son David Jnr tweeted: “West Ham are commencing legal proceedings against the communications director of Sporting Lisbon as a written offer for the player was made to Bruno de Carvalho the president of Sporting Lisbon.

“To say we never made an offer is nonsense and serious libel.”