Just as we thought West Ham United’s late entry to the summer transfer window runners and riders had finally got going, a late derailment threatens the first summer signing of El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Reports of the Senegalese’ wing back’s imminent arrival in London for a medical this weekend appear to have been somewhat over-ambitious: according to various reports last night and this morning, the price is still not agreed.
Czech news outlet infotbal.cz are insistent that the Hammers remain some millions light on the price and that Slavia Prague will not budge on the €25 million (£21.5million) sale price: At present West Ham have not met their price demands.
However, the news source is upbeat that the deal is still very much ‘on’, providing the Hammers don’t bug out on the price demanded at the last minute. In true Karren Brady ‘take it or leave it’ negotiating style, the Irons have to ‘pay £21.5 million or leave it’
What happens from now may well be a litmus test for the rest of the Irons’ transfer window: If West Ham get the deal done then Hammers fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief, frankly, that the ‘shadow boxing’ is over and Potter and Macaulay do hold sway in the window.
If however the Hammers walk away owing to a couple of million pounds many fans won’t be fooled- they will know David Sullivan is back to his lowballing worst, claiming ‘we tried’ and blaming the Hammers failure to land young, exciting (expensive) talent on something other than the Irons’ own failed strategy.
Time to back Potter and get the deal done: If the young defender is pictured in the shirt then the Hammers board have backed their manager: Unthinkable that Potter will be left high and dry if the Irons do not back him.
So the next 48 hours could be pivotal to the whole 2025-6 season and a portent of what is coming in the rest of the summer window. Hold your breath and hope that the Diouf signing gets done and Potter and Macaulay win out. Otherwise the future is most certainly dark and depressing once again.
I dont feel any confidence in our buying policy anymore I predicted a month ago we wouldnt have any new signings at this point of time on this site Imn sure It will be the same in 3 weeks time A late mad panic is what we will get Back to square one End result being mid to low end of league table Our club seem content with that sadly
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Surely Sullivan has to pay 21.5 not far away let’s not F…k this one up . I would be miffed if Sullivan don’t pay what’s required he looks good from what I have seen . COYI
Most buying club know in advance the expectations of the selling club and it’s classic West Ham to go in with a lowball offer. If the asking price for player X is £20m you just know we will offer £15m. If it’s rejected a second offer c£16.5m might made and consist of the classic ‘bits & pieces’. Once it’s rejected we pull out and then at end of window say ‘well we tried to buy player ‘X’. We see this time and time again every transfer window
Most buying club know in advance the expectations of the selling club and it’s classic Sullivan to go in with a lowball offer. If the asking price for player X is £20m you just know we will offer £15m. If it’s rejected a second offer c£16.5m might made and consist of the classic ‘bits & pieces’. Once it’s rejected we pull out and then at end of window say ‘well we tried to buy player ‘X’. We see this time and time again every transfer window
In my opinion, this very young guy playing in a weak championship is too overrated.
I am so surprised by this story, I think I need a cup of tea.
As with any negotiation the buyer will have assessed the current market value and will have settled on a maximum figure to which they will go. It’s got nothing to do with ‘it’s only a couple of million more’, if the seller isn’t prepared to accept what you feel is a reasonable price then you walk away. Be that you buying a new car or West Ham buying a new wing back!
Or are you advocating that we pay what ever the selling club demands?
Careful Steve, people on here don’t like common sense