Graham Potter saw his side beaten by Sunderland.placeholder image
Graham Potter saw his side beaten by Sunderland. | Getty Images
AFC Bournemouth are set to beat West Ham to the transfer of a Liverpool hotshot.
West Ham have endured a painfully slow transfer window this summer and paid the price against Sunderland on Saturday, with the Black Cats romping to a 3-0 win at the Stadium of Light.
If the Hammers needed a wake-up call, the newly promoted North East side certainly provided it. Sunderland have been busy in the market, signing 12 new players and their ambition looks to be reaping rewards.
Meanwhile, at the London Stadium, it’s accusations of a lack of ambition that are being levelled at the club. West Ham pocketed £55 million for the sale of key first team player Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur but only have El Hadji Malick Diouf and Mads Hermansen as new blood, despite a thoroughly underwhelming 2024/25 campaign.
West Ham set to miss Ben Doak transfer
One player who had been linked with a move to West Ham was talented Liverpool winger Ben Doak. Earlier this month, journalist David Lynch claimed that the Hammers had ‘major interest’ in the 19-year-old, alongside Wolves.
Doak spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough and turned heads in the Championship. The winger picked up three goals and seven assists across the second tier campaign and earned plaudits.
Now, it appears that West Ham have missed the boat on that transfer with AFC Bournemouth set to snap up the talented teenager. Taking to social media platform X on Monday, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano wrote: “Ben Doak has completed his medical at Bournemouth after deal done on Friday for £25m fee to Liverpool. Doak will sign his long term deal later today. #LFC will have buy back clause to keep future control on the player.”
That could be a big transfer for West Ham to have missed out on. Without Kudus in the side, one criticism that was made of the team against Sunderland was a serious lack of pace.
Hammers struggle for pace against Sunderland
Former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino told talkSPORT: "I think the players might be thinking also maybe our management maybe has to push us forward a bit more. It's a very one-paced midfield at West Ham. West Ham fans found it really hard work.
"If you ever want to go to a football match and have a little bit of a doze, especially last season and coming in this year, I looked at West Ham because 'd gone there and worked on two or three games and I found it hard work actually trying to be positive about what I'm watching.”
With Kudus gone and Crysencio Summerville injury-prone, a lack of pace was surely something the West Ham board was aware of before the start of the Premier League campaign. If they did have a proper look at Doak, it’s a real missed opportunity to have been beaten in that transfer race.
The Liverpool man is known for his dynamism and turn of speed. Doak had earned a nickname of the Tasmanian devil thanks to his pace and Danny Murphy told talkSPORT last year: “He is a super quick, explosive winger.
“I don’t know where he is at fitness-wise but he gives you something so different because of his pace. He’s got amazing, explosive pace which could cause teams problems off the bench. He could get in (the Scotland squad). I’m surprised, but it could be a nice surprise.”
West Ham need all the qualities that Ben Doak has to offer. However, just as they were on the pitch against Sunderland, the Hammers have been foolishly sluggish in making a move happen.
In other news, 'It's Win-Win': Tottenham and West Ham sent enticing £20m transfer message by Championship manager.
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