West Ham’s winter transfer window has been the subject of intense scrutiny and debate and now talk turns to free agents still on the market as the club’s owners deliver their verdict.
Hammers News exclusive
The shutters slammed down on the January transfer window on Monday night and it was always going to be one of the most crucial and significant in West Ham’s modern history.
With the Hammers struggling in their season-long battle against relegation, the January window represented a last chance saloon to call on help to survive.
Going into the window Nuno Espirito Santo needed reinforcements in several key areas.
But the Portuguese was very reluctant to discuss anything to do with transfers until the market had officially opened.
Fan opinion split over West Ham’s window business
Friction was brewing behind the scenes when the West Ham board voiced frustration with Nuno over his lack of urgency approving targets.
Nuno hit back at the Hammers board over transfers, insisting they already had the names of the players he wanted to sign.
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Within the first 48 hours of the market officially opening, West Ham spent £47m on two new strikers, Taty Castellanos and Pablo.
Little-known Venezuelan winger Keiber Lamadrid was brought in on loan with a dirt-cheap £1m option to buy.
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Top Nuno target Adama Traore was West Ham’s fourth arrival and centre-back Axel Disasi made it five when his on-off move from Chelsea was completed with a late deal sheet after the 7pm cut off.
Several players have left, with Lucas Paqueta the highest profile after he was sold to Flamengo for £36.5m having demanded to leave.
There has been much debate among fans as to whether the Hammers have done enough business to truly pull off a great escape.
Majority owner David Sullivan had already reprised his role as West Ham’s de facto director of football following the departures of Tim Steidten and Kyle Macaulay.
West Ham board verdict on window, who chose players and free agent market
But Nuno had demanded that he and his super agent sidekick Jorge Mendes have the ultimate say on West Ham transfers when he was joining the club back in September.
With opinion split over whether more signings were needed, there has been the usual speculation that the Hammers could look at the free agent market with the window closed.
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Now Hammers News can exclusively bring you the board’s internal verdict on the window, including exactly who selected the players, how decisions were made behind the scenes, and the club’s true position on whether free agents could be brought in.
The top spokesman for West Ham’s owners was asked whether they were happy with the business done, who chose players and whether any free agents could be brought in.
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West Ham’s board said there is only a tiny chance any free agents might come in and that the manager led recruitment, being backed with his picks bar one player.
“We are 99 per cent certain we are done,” the top spokesman for West Ham’s owners exclusively told Hammers News when asked whether any free agents were of interest.
“Let’s see how the new signings turn out, hopefully OK. They were the manager’s picks.
Hammers all but rule out free agent signings
“The only player picked by David Sullivan was a TINY punt on the young winger from South America, Lamadrid.”
Earlier this month, West Ham’s owners explained why Lamadrid was a ‘lottery ticket’ signing the club has high hopes for.
The skilful winger certainly impressed on his first appearance in claret and blue, scoring a screamer for West Ham Under 21s on deadline day.
There have been eyebrows raised over how long it took West Ham to address the club’s biggest weakness, the Premier League’s worst defence.
In fact the club could not have left it any later as the Disasi deal was rescued at the 11th hour.
The wisdom of signing Disasi has also been questioned given he has not played for over five months.
With Jean-Clair Todibo suspended for three games, all eyes now will be on whether Nuno throws Disasi straight into the side for the must-win game against Burnley on Saturday.
One person who does think West Ham’s move for Disasi is a good signing is Paul Merson.
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