Claret & Hugh has learned today that West Ham United are highly unlikely to activate the option-to-buy clause in Carlos Soler’s loan deal.
The club is planning a mini overhaul in the summer transfer window, aiming to clear the decks and allow Graham Potter to bring in his own players.
Spanish international Soler joined on loan from Paris Saint-Germain with an option to make the move permanent. While he has produced a mix of decent and indifferent performances in Claret and Blue, West Ham seem unconvinced.
At just under €20 million, the transfer fee is not the main obstacle. However, Soler’s high wages make any potential deal prohibitive given what C&H have discovered from a source this morning.
Had the former Valencia star made a more lasting impression on the first team, West Ham might have considered pushing forward with the deal. But with Soler viewed as a Julen Lopetegui signing, there is little to no chance he will have a long-term future under Graham Potter, who continues to assess his inherited Hammers squad
I assume we’re still basing our summer recruitment on the fact that we’ll be a premiership club because from what I’ve seen, that’s far from guaranteed.
Bang on, Joe – well said 👍
Thank God for that. Akid from the Academy would more influence on the game. Total dross. Potts or Earthy far better bet than Soler. Think of the money we could put to a striker by using our homegrown talent
Westham have wasted so much money on old crocks and mediocrity that they have little to no money for the Potter rebuild . Paqueta if found guilty is worthless and Kudus about what Westham paid for him and everyone else bar Bowen , Wan Bissaka and Kilman next to nothing .. Westham will not finish above 16th and possibly lower . Soler would just be another 20 million wasted at this point because overall he’s anonymous and too slow for the Premier League . Arsenal , Leicester and Everton are next and Westham really need to beat Leicester to stay safe because nothing from the other two games .
Lopetegui seemed put so much effort into bringing Soler in I assumed he would be a really good player that would heavily influence games. Then Lopetegui barely used him and when he played he seemed a very average player. He hasn’t had a run in Central midfield which I think is his preferred position so part of the issue maybe that. At the same time just being on the pitch should show your level as a player. He’s not good enough. Then there’s Kudus who seems to have withdrawn his services and a very patchy Paqueta.
I was just saying to my nephew exactly the same. The core reason for our problems over recent seasons has been awful recruitment. Soler dies a good impression of the invisible man. No way should we sign him. Guido Rodriguez, Fullkrug. Disasters. Even Ward-Prowse and Emerson both played their best football in the past and are in decline. Kilman for 40 mill, twice what he’s worth. Ings, has taken a fortune out of the club and for what? Watching supposedly smaller clubs than us on MotD is depressing. So much energy and pace everywhere. We are getting left behind.
I would like to see how Killman does supported by other strong players, but otherwise I can’t disagree with any of that.