West Ham’s dreadful, one-paced stagnant midfield has been the subject of huge criticism since its haphazard assembly last year. Seemingly without a plan, Lopetegui, Steidten and Sullivan between them assembled the ‘midfield that could not run’ by putting Soucek, Rodriguez, Alvarez and Ward-Prowse in the same squad without considering that the Irons would be desperately short of pace and legs; As last season panned out, the midfield became the achilles heel which could neither create going forward nor shield the defence.
The latest news snippet regarding a one-time West Ham midfield target will leave Hammers fans most likely stunned, as David Moyes is about to succeed where West Ham could not and land top Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Fabrizio Romano breaks the news on his twitter account :
“EXCL: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Everton, here we go! Permanent deal agreed with Chelsea and player side. Understand fee is worth £25m fixed plus add-ons up to £28/29m total package.”
Again West Ham are left empty handed as a top target heads off to a competitor.
The Irons will more than likely be left looking like embarrassing also-rans when Josh Brownhill lands at London Stadium, as reported yesterday in footballinsider247.com.
One a 26 year old, fast, appreciating asset, the other nearly 30, past his peak and available on a ‘free’ transfer.
The fact that former Hammers manager ‘dithering Dave’ is set to land the hugely talented Dewsbury-Hall, laughably linked earlier in the window with West Ham United is even more embarrassing and makes our recruitment look cheap and nasty by comparison.
Just £25 million. A perfect box to box midfielder, just what was needed for the Hammers. But unaffordable for West Ham apparently.
West Ham fans stunned??? Hahaha.
I don’t see Dewsbury Hall as the type of player we need. And if we’d spent basically £30m on him it would have been a bit disappointing, unless we bought another midfielder too. According to you we have £150m to spend in this window. So let’s see who the manager is allowed to sign with all of that cash.
Don’t know why you’re that bothered, think he’s bang average. Wrong side of mid 20’s so not great resale or potential. Sure he’s a solid player but nothing special
Definitely more of a Moyes player I think
Not bothered on Dewbury-Hall to be honest
Elliott for me but I don’t think he wants move to West Ham
No European football
Think him an Ramsey the same
Let’s try for players we stand a chance of signing preferably 26 or under
No more freebie’s past there prime with no pace please
Did you watch the Bournemouth match last night if The Cherries had their shooting boots on we would of been battered by half time
Potts the new Declan what do you think guys…
the transfer window at the present for the hammers is a complete joke the signings that we are supposed to be singing are going elsewhere and and poor old Potter is getting as beans or compete and utter rubbish signings we have spent 3 bob compares to others in the premiership Sullivan what the hell are you doing (and thats polite) we are going to be relegation fodder. Championship here we come…..Please prove me wrong
Yes completely agree – to be beaten by the very cautious dithering Moyes just shows up this totally amateur West Ham transfer window yet again.
I doubt the team will be much different bar Diouf and a few freebies next season and we just have to suck it up and see what happens.
The disinformation coming out of the club about money being available makes it even worse. I used to think Sullivan was well intentioned but too arrogant to realise how useless he was in managing transfer windows. This window destroyed that illusion.
We are in a relegation battle from day one with the current midfield and squad.
Another one gone from Potters original wish list.
A list which is rapidly shrinking leaving Raphael Onyeduka / Mateus Fernandes /Romano Schmid.
Goalkeeper was never mentioned but situation now is a must.
Alternative option, at same price, Marcus Tavernier, Bournemouth.
As Genoa are desperate for Cornet why can’t he be a direct swap for Morten Frendrup already associated with whu.
Both are £15m and at least Frendrup could be used as he is described as an all rounder
Cornet won’t go because his Genoa wages would be about 80% less. And he’s only worth about half what Frendrup would sell for…
We need someone dynamic in midfield not someone that sounds like a country wedding venue. Everton are more than welcome to this one.
So you’ve not see him play then obviously.
Glad Dewsbury Hall has gone to Everton
For god sake get Elliott in pure class
Not sure on Ramsey or Piciollo
If we signed Elliott and keep Paqueta we would have one hell of a team
Same old story,it’s becoming embarrassing to be a West Ham supporter.Nothing but out of contract and free transfers and cheap players no one else wants.What on earth is happening at what was a class club but now it seems on the slide.
Depends what you mean by running. Whether you’re talking about sprinting at speed or distance covered. Souchek for instance covered a staggering 140.8 km over the 2024–25 Premier League season. That was the most of any player in the league that campaign. In matches during 2023/24 season Souček featured four times in the Top 10 for the most distance covered in a single game, exceeding 13 km on multiple occasions (e.g. 13.25 km vs Brighton, 13.14 km vs Nottingham Forest. So to say Souchek can’t run is not exactly correct is it.
The problem is not how much grownd he covers but what he does when he gets the ball. You can see the difference in Potts and Souchek in the summer series Souchek is one dimensional in the middle where we need him to be dynamic.
Pace is the key factor to statistically the premier leagues most successful moves that result in goal opportunities. It trumps most other factors in most sports and can come in more abundance and consistency than skill. Top level consistent skill is extremely expensive.
Football is about more than running though isn’t it? He scores important goals and many defensive headers. But creative he isn’t and not particularly defensive. He may fit in a midfield with other players with big strengths in these areas but the current midfield doesn’t work.
You know what he meant, he has no pace, our midfield lacks pace and athleticism.
Problem is, while covering that ground (slowly) he’s contributing nothing.
Never minded Dave dithering when he was eventually delivering.
He started only two league games for Chelsea last season. I don’t think we wanted him as opposed to not being able to afford him. Hopefully we’ll sign a better midfielder with some pace.
Hold the phone….
Let’s wait and see:
IF it goes through
IF he plays well
WHO we sign by comparison. If GP/KM pull another Diouf style rabbit out of the hat, who’s 21 amazing….
Yeah not sure I would call him “a perfect box to box midfielder”.
Having watched the summer series: Potts has obviously cemented his place in the starting line up; Paq-man looked better with Potts availability, mobility, tackling, and passing; Lewis Orford should have got more time in lieu of JWP; hopefully George Earthy when fit will replace Soucek.
All 3 younger players will give the mobility, pace, tackling and passing we are missing in midfield.
Defence looks acceptable with 3 (+ spare) CBs, with decent full/wing backs on each side.
If this defence and midfield can be stabilised then the forward line will get the assistance so badly needed.
This is the only hope with whats happening in this transfer window. What I don’t get is why Potter keeps playing JWP, Rodriguez and Co for more of the games than the seemingly critical academy players. We know all we need to know about the slow ineffective not defensive and not creative midfield of last season.
Wrong agent obviously….
Harvey Elliot it has to be !!!
Dewsebury Hall is decent but not super fast .
He is an average Premier League midfielder.
I don’t see him as an appreciating asset plus he is probably on a hefty wage.
I don’t think he’s good enough… I’m not sure he’s any better than Josh Brownhill either.
Not sure I can agree that he is an appreciating asset as that is less than Chelsea paid and he is 27 next mth, but certainly would be ideal for the here and now. But the difference is that Everton have new owners who look like they might want a team to grace their new stadium whereas we seem to be a busted flush finance wise.
Am not sure Dewsbury-Hall is the player we need now Paqueta is seemingly staying, Fernandes of Southampton would be my pick and I guess they are still hoping for Elliot from Liverpool fair play to Moyes for getting the deal done Chelsea are hard to deal with. I think our biggest problem is selling or loaning out the deadwood to make space for replacements.
I’m not convinced he is, or was, all that at Leicester or Chelsea. He was the poor relation to Maddison and Tielemans. Let’s see how Potts, Summerville, Guillherme, Bowen etc get on?
Pathetic isnt it