The crazy world of football transfer business commences all over again next week, with the three month summer transfer window opening and the usual endless rumour factory stories starting all over again.
For West Ham United fans it will feel a little different this time around with no ‘usual suspects’ being named as targets now that the club has been removed from English football’s top tier. The transfer targets are more modest, the need to dispose of several expensive players a higher priority.
However the head-scratching will continue as optimism triumphs over experience and players who have demonstrably failed at clubs go on to command huge sums for signing for a different manager who still backs himself to ‘unlock’ the apparent latent talent that the previous manager failed to bring about.
Traore’s West Ham career : Blink and you’d have missed it.
None, perhaps, epitomise the nonsense of the transfer business better than former West Ham winger Adama Traore.
“Nuno’s top target’ we were told In January as the Portuguese manager made a bee line for his former Wolves winger.
Despite evidence to the contrary, Nuno seemed convinced the Spaniard was the answer to West Ham’s problems and pretty much demanded Traore join on a short term contract, costing £2 million and a reported £70 thousand a week.
Nuno’s man then achieved pretty much zero except a stunning judo throw in the Chelsea fixture that saw Todibo sent off after Traore sparked the shenanigans: Not much to show for his brief West Ham career and released by the Irons after relegation.
Back in the day when Nuno had hair and Traore had potential
You’d expect Traore to struggle to find a new club after that level of nondescript performance.
Not a bit of it: Latest news today suggests he’s heading back to an old haunt: Footballinsider247.com claiming this morning that: “Wolves work on deal to re-sign Adama Traore” ; Nothing better sums up the nonsense football merry go round that continues to reward mediocrity with blind optimism and a hefty pay packet.
Will Wolves be more successful in coaxing the best out of the thirty year old Catalonian muscleman than Nuno managed at London Stadium? Highly doubtful. Another player seemingly living off past glories. At least he won’t be sitting on Nuno’s bench this season.
Be curious to know what those past glorys are. He’s always been diabolical
People forget he only played one game for us against Leeds as the commentator said he was ‘the best player on the pitch’ looked unstoppable going forward on that big pitch & I forget the stats but it was definitely 1 assist and I think 6 crosses. highest rated WH player that day! After that dropped & never started again no wonder after that he was crap off the bench after watching the efforts of Pablo
My memory of Traore is slightly different. Seem to recall that Nuno did get the best out of him again, for about a game and a half until he got injured again. The guy wants big wages but anything other than some sort of pay if you play arrangement seems too much of a financial gamble. But if you keep him fit he could pay you back big time.
Whu have/had many players that were never given sufficient playing time Traore being one.
With being in championship/debt this could/should change for potential academy players.
With 46 matches need to boost bench and cover injuries/suspensions.
With Kretinsky update no need to leave incoming targets to eleventh hour.
Nuno needs these players for pre season unlike Potter saga.
Martin we’ve had numerous number of top class talent at W Ham We were so poor as a club we just didn’t bring the best out in them Let’s hope this all changes now with the new setup coming into place shortly