West Ham have broken their silence with a 13-word transfer update amid mounting speculation that three deals are on the verge of being completed.
The message brings mixed news for Hammers fans who have been buzzing with anticipation as the summer transfer window finally started to show signs of life this week.
It is one of the worst kept secrets in football that West Ham must sell to buy this summer.
The club has been bemoaning its PSR position since as far back as November and offloading several players is key to Graham Potter being able to sign his targets.
The good news is that Potter and head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay have plenty of them.
Macaulay arrived at West Ham from Chelsea in January with a dossier of them – some more realistic than others.
West Ham finally get the ball rolling on Potter’s rebuild
What is refreshing for the Hammers is that the profile of player being targeted is much more in line with what supporters have wanted and been promised for years.
David Moyes pledged to rebuild West Ham around young, hungry talent using a version of the Red Bull model he studied while spending time out of the game.
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In reality Jarrod Bowen was probably as good as it got in that regard.
Although in Moyes’ defence, West Ham’s meteoric rise from strugglers to European regulars under him somewhat dictated he had to sign a more experienced profile of player.
Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten somehow took the Premier League’s oldest squad, spent £155m and made it even older – despite also vowing to sign young, exciting players.
Graham Potter during West Ham United FC v Nottingham Forest FC in the Premier League
Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images
Potter has now made the same promise – highlighting the need to have players who retain future sell-on value in a modern game where PSR is so fundamental.
After taking up a watching brief for the first month of the window, West Ham have burst into transfer action over the last week.
It came at the right time too.
West Ham’s Premier League rivals are threatening to leave them behind in the transfer market with the three newly-promoted clubs taking the total number of signings between them to 15 and counting already.
The Hammers have made multiple bids for players, including an official move for Slavia Prague star El Hadji Malick Diouf.
West Ham issue 13-word transfer update amid triple deal claims
Reports from the Czech Republic had claimed that deal was all but done and Diouf would fly to London for a medical this weekend.
But it has since been reported West Ham have actually had two bids rejected for the Senegal left-back.
However, there has been a positive new twist in the Hammers’ move for Diouf.
It has been claimed Germany Under 21 star Nelson Weiper is being lined up for a move to the London Stadium.
A top South American journalist has reported that West Ham have also bid for Palmeiras star Richard Rios – although there are doubts over the accuracy of those claims.
El Hadji Malick Diouf playing for Slavia Prague in the Europa League
Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images
Diouf and Suzuki in, Kudus out soon at West Ham?
Then this weekend a new name entered the equation for the goalkeeper position in the shape of Japan and Parma star Zion Suzuki.
The increased talk of West Ham closing on signings suggests the club are increasingly confident of selling Mohammed Kudus soon.
Talk has been ramping up that Spurs and Chelsea are now pushing to get Kudus signed.
So what is the current situation looking like?
West Ham have issued a 13-word transfer update amid claims three deals are advancing.
With reports Diouf and Suzuki could soon be on their way in and Kudus on his way out, Hammers News reached out to the top spokesman for West Ham’s owners for clarity.
Hammers board makes transfer situation perfectly clear
Hammers News put it to the top London Stadium contact for the board that there was increasing speculation over the three deals.
When asked whether there was any movement on deals and if things are looking more hopeful, West Ham’s spokesman issued a mixed response which urged further patience from fans.
“Progress is slow,” the top spokesman for West Ham’s owners told Hammers News.
“But the season is still six or seven weeks away.”
On the one hand it is frustrating to hear progress is slow.
Everyone connected with the Hammers wants to see Potter’s rebuild start to take shape.
Especially so the manager can work with some of the new arrivals in pre-season.
But there is at least talk of progress now the comment suggests there is confidence new arrivals will be coming in within the next six or seven weeks.