I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not much of a numbers guy and often feel a little out of my depth when discussing West Ham’s transfer spend.
That said, after reading Sean’s breakdown of the ins and outs yesterday, I couldn’t help but feel the window was rather on the frugal side.
Firstly, I struggle to count Jean-Clair Todibo as a “new signing.” He was here last season, and his £35m fee will almost certainly be spread over the next five years, as is the case with most deals.
Most Read on West Ham News
Wilson impressed against Forest but is injury prone
West Ham left short with deadline day inactivity
By my own—albeit less precise—calculations, the Hammers’ net spend sits at a meagre £20m. That’s hardly an ambitious outlay. While I’m delighted with the arrival of Mateus Fernandes and excited by the potential of Malick Diouf, the squad still feels undercooked in the striking department.
This is where ambition comes into question. Had West Ham pushed the boat out a little further, two more quality additions could have given Graham Potter a truly formidable starting eleven.
There may be money left for January, especially with the club making around £20m in annual wage savings. If the summer’s goal was to cut costs, then the board have certainly succeeded.
It’s hard to judge Magassa until we’ve seen him play
But only time will tell if this was a good window. Much hinges on Magassa—still an unknown who we’ve yet to see play—and the fitness of Niclas Füllkrug and Callum Wilson.
My verdict? I’m delighted with Fernandes, thrilled Paquetá has stayed, and Walker-Peters looks a shrewd bit of business. Diouf is an exciting prospect. But there’s no escaping the feeling that we should have pushed harder, particularly for another striker.