West Ham’s owners have responded to concerns being raised by the fanbase about the club’s summer transfer window activity with a bold new message.
With pressure mounting and expectations high, the club’s top brass have reacted after it was put to them that West Ham are falling behind their Premier League rivals.
Usually when the new Premier League fixtures are announced, there is a buzz of anticipation and optimism in the air around the Hammers.
But this summer it has been replaced by a sense of dread.
The West Ham faithful have gone from belting out ‘Champions of Europe’ at every ground they visit to fearing an opening day defeat at newly-promoted Sunderland.
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After 18 months of struggle, West Ham have regressed badly.
From winning a European trophy and being three points off the top four at the turn of the year in 2024 to winning just 15 of their last 57 league games since.
In an ideal world, the Hammers would be preparing to go again in the transfer market, rebuilding the side around the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta.
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But West Ham say big losses of £100m plus in the next set of accounts coming in December, coupled with the fact they have already spent all £69m owed to them for transfers by way of a bank advance, means there is no money for signings until sales are made.
Hammers boss Graham Potter promised fans an “exciting and interesting” summer transfer window.
Graham Potter during Manchester United FC v West Ham United FC - Premier League
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Potter also stated he would like new signings in the door early “in an ideal world” so that he can work with them in pre-season.
None of those statements ring true as yet.
Sales are needed with the likes of Kudus, Paqueta – if cleared of spot-fixing – Nayef Aguerd, Emerson Palmieri, Niclas Fullkrug, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Guido Rodriguez and possibly even Edson Alvarez on the market.
The trouble is while a couple of sales are more likely than others in the coming days and weeks, none are imminent.
That means West Ham cannot complete any signings of their own.
And the Hammers are back in pre-season training in just two weeks.
West Ham owners have bold new message for worried fans
Potter has been working with head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay to identify targets while majority owner David Sullivan is also heavily involved and is essentially the man doing the deals.
Fan resentment towards the board has bubbled to the surface again after a serene four-and-a-half years of relative harmony under David Moyes.
Some feel so strongly about the club’s situation they have launched a petition for Sullivan to sell up.
The petition has just over 4,000 signatures at the time of writing.
Thousands of West Ham fans insisted they would not renew season tickets in protest. But over 43,000 signed up, a drop of just 4,500.
West Ham United FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League
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Most Hammers supporters accept the club want and need to go in a different direction with recruitment, looking to a younger profile of player Potter can build an exciting team around – like he has done at previous clubs.
But as Premier League rivals get busy, West Ham are stuck in the mud until sales are made and that is causing serious concern among supporters – many of whom fear relegation could be a distinct possibility next season.
Now West Ham’s owners have a bold new message for worried fans over transfer activity.
Or perhaps described more accurately as the club’s transfer inactivity.
It was put to the top spokesman for West Ham’s owners that many fans are getting despondent and worried about the financial situation and lack of signings.
When asked whether there was any glimmer of hope for supporters, the message back was to keep calm.
Hammers board tell fans ‘don’t panic’ about transfer activity
And the club believe the perception of the inactivity is being skewed by the mini transfer window which opened between June 1-10, which they feel was really only used by a handful of clubs for whom money is no object.
“The real window only opened three days ago!” the top spokesman for West Ham’s owners exclusively told Hammers News.
“Our message to the fans would be to tell them not to panic.”
The message offers reassurance that nobody at the club is panicking so supporters shouldn’t either.
But there is no hiding the pressure is going to ramp up in the coming days and weeks as pre-season edges closer.
The last thing West Ham fans want to hear is excuses that the Hammers are playing catch-up because Potter did not have his new players to work with before the season got underway.
Those sales are key and with ‘lots of interest in Kudus’ hope remains West Ham will eventually be able to raise over £100m in total in terms of sales.