Jaded West Ham United supporters have been tied up in knots in the last few days since the Hammers dreadful performance hopefully convinced Graham Potter and David Sullivan that the midfield was not fit for purpose: Fans knew this about a year ago but it seems insiders had remained staunchly in denial. As the dates are crossed off in the calendar towards the summer window closure, like some kind of doomsday advent calendar, the recruitment stutters and stalls with ‘bids’ but zero concrete progress.
Sky Sports offer a glimmer of hope in this arid good news wasteland. Whether the West Ham leadership can move fast enough is another matter – you’d think with the whole season pivoting on events over the next few days there’d be a case to pull off the covers from the Steidten jet and act with extreme haste.
Raphael Onyedika is back on the Hammers’ midfield watchlist, according to Sascha Tavolieri:
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“ EXCLUSIVE: West Ham reignites interest in Raphaël Onyedika! Following the sale of Edson Álvarez to Fenerbahçe, the Hammers have resumed monitoring the situation. Onyedika is keen on joining the Premier League this summer”.
‘Watchlist”? How about ‘go and buy, urgently’ list.
Cue a few hundred thousand Hammers fans shouting at their screens over breakfast: GET IT DONE: Trouble is, West Ham may have left it too late: Onyedika’s side triumphed 3 – 1 against Rangers in the Champions League qualifying leg meaning they are now within touching distance of Europe’s premier competition.
The lure of Champions League football may tempt the Hammers target to stay at Club Brugge for another season. A move in June when the Irons were first linked for the 24 year old Nigerian International would surely have secured his signature. Easy in hindsight but here is one player for whom it is worth throwing caution to the wind.