Finally the momentum is kicking in (or is it “panic”?) – over incoming signings with no less than three new additions likely to take to the pitch from the kick off tomorrow against Charlton. Manor Solomon, Arne Engels and Joel Piroe look likely to make their home debuts as the second- tier Hammers squad belatedly takes shape.
Compared with the £17 million price agreed by AZ Alkmaar for Troy Parrott, the loan now-pay later agreement which West Ham have completed for Leeds striker Joel Piroe looks, on the face, of it a canny bit of wheeling and dealing.
However, the jury will be out until the new West Ham number nine takes to the pitch at the weekend. 73 Championship goals to his name is a pretty resounding recommendation for Piroe but West Ham fans have been sold a pup on too many occasions to get their hopes up that a modest £4 million loan fee will be solve the Hammers goal scoring problems in a quest for Championship success.
Indeed the Parrott transfer looked doomed on the basis that the player didn’t want to come to West Ham anyway, now sitting tenth in the second division. Who can blame him, to be honest, with a move to Real Betis securing top flight football and Champions League football to boot, as opposed to a gruelling 45 game slog in the toughest, most competitive league in world football with no guarantee of promotion at the end of it.
The £8 million obligation payment if the Hammers get promoted looks a bargain
Joel Piroe, on the other hand, comes to east London, seemingly embracing the challenge, in a deal done within a few days with an up front payment and cheap as chips mandatory purchase price if West Ham are promoted, by all accounts. As insidefutbol claim:
“If West Ham win promotion back to the Premier League then Leeds will get another £8m from the permanent sale of Piroe.”
Which will be a modest price for firing the Hammers back to the Premier League: Even if Piroe proves unable to cut it in the top tier, (as Leeds evidently believe,) the Irons can sell him back to the next unfortunate side to be relegated and probably recoup their money in a year’s time with the striker having done what he needs to do.
It is all very well having lofty ambitions to ‘only sign players fit for the Premier League’ but first West Ham have to climb the greasy pole out of the Championship.
As fans wait to discover this weekend with Piroe likely to make his debut, £8million – hopefully – looks a very modest price well worth paying if the Dutch-born Piroe replicates his Leeds and Swansea scoring record this term and fires West Ham back to the top tier.
Cheer up mate. It not as bad as you make out.
Funny how the old “player never wanted to come to West Ham anyway” line comes out after we fail to stump up the cash, beforehand all the noises were he was keen.