A tale of two clubs differing experiences in the world of ‘having to sell before buying’. West Ham lumbering into the second transfer window, with players like Kudus, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Rodriguez, Emerson, Aguerd and Soucek sitting lined up on the trestle table as at some football bring and buy sale, smiling, waiting, as buyers ignore their expensive wares.
Contrast with Sunderland. Already ‘sold it, banked it, spent it’ as their top asset Jobe Bellingham ( a rumoured Hammers target) has already been sold to Borussia Dortmund and the money paid and now already spent again. As reported this morning by si.com the Black Cats have stolen another rumoured West Ham target and already received the customary in-the-know- Fabrizio Romano rubber stamp to confirm:
“Sunderland agree deal to sign talent Habib Diarra as new midfielder. Agreement has been reached tonight between parties with Strasbourg ~€35.5m package add-ons included. Fabrizio Romano via Facebook”
Whilst the Hammers still sit waiting for just a sniff of a bid at their own Premier League car boot sale, the Premier League’s newest recruits have shown how it is done. I believe the current expression is ‘schooling’ West Ham, in a manner that seems light years ahead of the way in which ‘business’ as such is being handled in East London this summer.