Nayef Aguerd
by Hughie Southon
We have been here before but given what we know of David Moyes’ current plans it seems reasonable to revisit our likely squad requirements this summer.
Here’s who may be on their way or definitely are:
Mark Noble, Andriy Yarmolenko, Ryan Fredericks, Arthur Masuaku, Tomas Soucek, Alex Kral, and Nikola Vlasic. There may of course be others
Beyond that Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell and Mikey Antonio are into their 30s and back ups or replacements are required.
Thus far we have learned that the boss wants midfielder James Ward-Prowse, is considered close to agreeing a deal for defender Nayef Aguerd and Jesse Lingard.
We are not claiming anything more than what we have heard but as things stand at least another four are required to get us up to where we were last term when most believe we need more.
Should Soucek leave we will have problems in midfield with only Declan Rice available for the defensive role.
Cresswell and Oggy will unquestionably need back ups given how stretched we were at times last season.
There remains a very big job on hand.
Laying it out like that shows we have not a minute to waste. Talk of selling Diop and Soucek at present must be suppressed as you say we need six to stand still. Moyes and Newman should have a firm list to pursue, this is no surprise to them!
I’m extremely worried about the current situation at the club.
When Moyes came back to the club a second time and stated the way forward is to stop buying older players at vastly inflated prices that are worth next to nothing a couple of years later and start investing in younger up and coming players from around the world. I was very excited with anticipation.
When he identified the scouting department needed a complete overhaul and introduced Rob Newman as Head of Recruitment, I thought at last things are going to change for the better and we will become the up-and-coming team in Europe.
Especially when we were then being linked with young players such as, Nikola Milenkovic, Duje Celeta, Darwin Nunez, Adam Hiozek, Patrick Schick, Boubacar Kamara, Fabio Carvalho, Luis Diaz Fabio Carvalho & Keane Lewis-Potter.
Come January we are sitting around 4th place in the Premier League and in the final knockout stages in the Europa League. This is it. We are going to buy a couple of the players listed above for the final push into the Champions League and win the Europa League.
Then January comes and goes and. NOTHING! We buy no-one.
Teams around us bring in players. Notably Tottenham bring in Rodrigo Betencur & Dejan Kuluseski (finish 4th in Premier League) and Liverpool sign one of our supposed targets Luis Diaz (finish 2nd in Premier League and Champions League finalists).
With injuries and exhaustion, we slide down to 7th. Still not bad, but it was there for the taking.
One day after the season ends and Aston Villa sign (On a FREE) one of our top young targets from Marseille, Boubacar Kamara. Then couple of days later make another signing Diago Carlos. Liverpool also one day after the end of the season sign Fulham’s young starlet Fabio Carvalho. Again, linked as one of our targets.
Then another hotly linked target Adam Hiozek is sold by Sparta Prague to Bayer Leverkusen. Yes our co-owner Danial Kretinsky is also co-owner of Sparta Prague. This was supposed to be a great advantage to West Ham to be able to buy some of their top players.
So none of the hotly tipped young talents have been signed by West Ham. Two have signed for rivals and one to a German side.
This along with one of last season’s star player Thomas Souchek is less than happy about being played out of position. From an attacking midfielder that was marauding forward and scoring for fun, this season is played in a deeper role. Now we hear, there has been a row with Moyes and we could let one of our star players go.
Also leaving the club are the following, Mark Noble, Andrily Yarmolenko, Ryan Fredericks, Arthur Masuaku, Alex Kral, and Nikola Vlasic.
Oh and one of our top backroom members Stuart Pearce has left.
It has gone from signing the top young talents from around the world to signing No-one. With everyone wondering just what has Rob Newman been doing?
And just like my Dreams, They fade and Die.
I don’t agree that Soucek should be sold , we need at least 1 new striker , at least another CM , LB , and 2 defenders and 3 if we sell Diop . We need hard working team players with quality if we want to improve and no dithering so let’s get on with it