Another apparent West Ham target has been snapped up by Premier League rivals as the Hammers apparently refine, refocus – whatever you’d like to call it – onto younger, fresher – cheaper- talent. Kyle Macaulay’s whiteboard must be full of names crossed through and new ones hastily added to the bottom of the list. However if the rest of the summer signings are of the same calibre as about-to-be revealed El Hadji Malick Diouf then I don’t think there will be too many complaints amongst the fan base.
Wolves are today reported by in-the-know Fabrizio Romano to have sealed a deal with Brazilian winger Jhon Arias. The Fulminese forward apparently went for a very do-able package ‘close’ to €20 million.
Arias was a Hammers target reported just two weeks ago: Whether a rethink took place on Arias owing to price, age – he’s 27 – or the emergence of better targets isn’t clear. All well and good for another ‘target’ to slip away to a competitor, but much will depend on who actually signs in the next four weeks before the Premier League starts again.
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Yes indeed, just four weeks.
Footballfancast.com believe it will be Leicester’s Bilal el Khannouss who they claim is West Ham’s ‘dream Kudus replacement”.
With a price tag reported around £30 million, it is unlikely that West Ham could pursue Bilal and Liverpool’s midfielder Harvey Elliott.
In any case, the jury is still out as to whether West Ham could put together a serious recruitment campaign for Elliott in any case, since he will have half the Premier League chasing after him.
Sadly, Bilal el Khannouss maybe as good as it gets for West Ham’s midfielder recruitment this summer.
Still notable for its absence at the moment is any talk, anywhere, of Hammers’ quest for someone to bang in some goals! It all remains ominously quiet on that front, whilst West Ham appear to be doing business for a left and right sided defender and a midfielder. All well and good. Perhaps – ominously – that shows Potter’s priorities for next season.