If Kyle Macaulay did not already appreciate the size of the task he has on his hands at West Ham, he will now because his hands are tied over landing his top target.
It is very much a case of ‘how the other half live’ for West Ham and Chelsea when it comes to the transfer market.
And nobody will know that better than West Ham’s head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay right now.
The Hammers paid £1.2m to bring Macaulay in from Chelsea in January to reunite him with Graham Potter.
Potter has worked with recruitment guru Macaulay at all of his clubs so far from Ostersunds to West Ham.
The Scot is a highly-regarded talent identifier.
At Chelsea that could be put to good use with money no object – as is being evidenced once again in the first week of this summer transfer window.
Macaulay’s insight – identifying players before they are necessarily on the radars of too many top clubs – is arguably even more valuable to West Ham, though given they are having to work to a strict budget.
West Ham can only sit and watch early window action
This summer that budget is essentially whatever is raised through sales.
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While West Ham fans are finding it hard to come to terms with that fact, it won’t be as alien to Macaulay as many might think.
Brighton and Swansea operated in a similar way – and money would have been minuscule at Ostersunds.
The transfer rumour mill is already whirring with the Hammers being linked with a host of players in all manner of positions.
West Ham have stated midfield and the forward line are top priorities.
It is the ageing, immobile, uninventive midfield which most believe to be at the heart of the Hammers’ issues, though.
And Macaulay is standing by his number one pick to transform West Ham but the delay has let a European giant back in.
Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
One of Macaulay’s clever strategies is to target players in the last two years of their contracts in the hope of more affordable deals given West Ham are insisting they must sell to buy.
All of West Ham’s central midfielders are available for sale – including Tomas Soucek, much to the disbelief of some Hammers fans.
Macaulay’s number one target to revolutionise West Ham’s midfield is Raphael Onyedika.
Club Brugge defensive midfielder Onyedika is entering the last two years of his contract and his club have no option, nor is there said to be any intention on the player’s side, for it to be extended.
Macaulay stands by number one pick to transform West Ham
Club Brugge have actually already admitted they must sell this summer with a bargain fee of around £17m being reported for the Nigeria international.
There have been a series of hugely encouraging updates on West Ham’s interest in the 24-year-old over the last week.
Firstly Club Brugge agreed a deal to sign Onyedika’s replacement.
Other top clubs – namely AC Milan – have been linked with the midfield lynchpin.
But Macaulay was further boosted when the Italian giants reportedly pulled out after it emerged West Ham had pre-emptively agreed personal terms with Onyedika ahead of the Hammers hierarchy trying to agree a price with Brugge.
Onyedika bears more than a passing resemblance to a Macaulay Brighton signing, Moises Caicedo.
Better still for the Irons, the player is reported to want a move to the Premier League.
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Delay lets giants back in for Onyedika
An update on claimed West Ham’s Onyedika talks with Brugge were ‘positive’ at the weekend.
But as West Ham once again insist they cannot buy any players until sales are guaranteed, the door has been left wide open for AC Milan to reignite their interest in Onyedika.
Hammers News understands from top transfer source that Macaulay is adamant Onyedika is the man he wants to completely change the way the team operates.
Onyedika is the beating heart of the Brugge team and every move starts through him.
The key West Ham source told Hammers News that AC Milan are now back in for Onyedika while Macaulay is powerless to seal a deal due to a lack of readily available funds.
‘Hammers hope it is just agents trying to bump price’
But the top transfer source says the club are hoping the Milan talk is agent driven.
“It has been confirmed Onyedika is the Kyle Macaulay pick,” the source told Hammers News.
“We know all the midfielders are for sale, even Soucek, with Potter wanting to change the way the team plays.
“AC Milan are looking again and I am told they quite fancy him but West Ham are hoping it is agents trying to bump up the price.”
Offloading a player or two can’t come quick enough for West Ham it seems.
Bringing in the player around whom Macaulay and Potter’s entire overhaul will be built quite literally depends on it.