Why West Ham’s best Transfer Business might have been completed already
With Euro 2016 now over, attention in the football world turns squarely on the transfer window and the prospective deals each club is looking to make, but have West Ham done their best business already?
Before the transfer window had even started, Gold and Sullivan had made their intentions clear by adding 4 players to the squad already: Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli, Domingos Quina and Toni Martinez.
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All of these signings ticked at least one of two boxes: proven talent with solid European experience, or an up and coming star on the watch-list of multiple top clubs. On top of this they all represent value for money, which is possibly more impressive in a bloated transfer market where figures of over £15m are becoming increasingly common.
For no upfront fee, West Ham have secured a defensive addition capable of playing in multiple roles with equal proficiency and an attacking player who is talented and experienced enough to add something extra to one of the most free scoring teams in the premier league.
Previously West Ham have been bogged down in signing squad players, trying to sort out fees and wages until the season had almost started. This cuts down on both the amount of time the players get to embed themselves within the team and get used to their new teammates, as well add the time the board can spend on signing big additions to the squad. The fact these transfers made little to no impact on the budget also gives Gold and Sullivan further wiggle room in any expensive negotiations.
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The two young players also represent a positive step in the right direction, as I felt the club went backwards on the youth policy under Allardyce and it is good to see promising players both signing for the club and coming through the academy. Burke, Oxford and Samuelson are three that I hope we see feature more and more in the coming season as they are the future of West Ham as I see it.
The signing of Quina especially has many people talking, and at the age of 16 he could go a long way in the game, especially under the tutelage of a manager that is willing to give youth a chance and let the team play with flair. To be consistently stealing youth players from top UK clubs shows we are moving forward with our potential.
With the Gokhan Tore deal set to be completed early this week and Carlos Bacca looking more and more likely to be a West Ham player this window, I think we can thank the people if the board for getting some solid business done early and at a good price to take the pressure of these big signings the fans want. Without them there would have been a lot more panic at this stage of the summer.
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