So the silly season is officially underway with Sky Sports and the Sun setting hares running which simply do not exist.
And along the way they are leaving the impression that West Ham United is very much the same sort of club this year as it was last.
After a season which most see as the start of something bigger and better they associate us with relegated players and two from Bournemouth whom they value together at £25 million.
The reason for the price tag is obvious – that is mentioned because the club has made it clear they have £25 million to spend on a striker so it gets attached to every prospect the media want to name – LAZY!
Among the names that have been thrown out over the last few days have been Nathan Redmond and Robbie Brady from relegated Norwich City, plus Andros Townsend and Georginio Wijnaldum from relegated Newcastle and Idrissa Gueye from Aston Villa.
West Ham were tonight also confused by Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe’s claim that there was a £20 million bid for Callum Wilson and Matt Ritchie claiming there had been there have been some crossed wires somewhere.
We were told: “There has been an interest in the pair but no formal bids as such at all.”
I can tell you here and now that none of those are in the frame and that all our energies are being directed towards Alexandre Lacazette in Europe whilst Christian Benteke and Jamie Vardy – although unlikely – have also been on the target list.
None of the players above have been named to me privately or publicly at any stage – we are looking at bigger and better in all areas of our operation and these pieces of fiction are becoming par for the course.
We are now a big club with a big future looking to buy big players. Forget this stuff which makes us look small time because it’s simply not true.
Hold up….but Eddie Howe has now said we did make a bid, it wasn’t even 25m and we’ve denied making it public or leaking it?! So something appears to have happened with the Bournemouth two.
Why on earth would picking the bones of decent relegated players be considered small time?
I’m sure Liverpool would love to off load Benteke, I just hope it’s not to us
I would be happy to see Maiga back.Foreign,top class,big name signing,he ticks all the boxes doesn’t he 😉
With regards to the Newcastle players there were 3 standout players Jaanmaat Wijnaldum and after January Townsend, Jaanmaat and Wijnaldum could walk straight into our team, they both have presence and Wijnaldum is one of the best Dutch prospects he is a winner that chose badly although he probably though Schteve McClaren was a good manager when he signed, Townsend is also good competition for Antonio, with regards to the Bournemouth players a bid went in and was rejected I have heard they are no longer on the radar, but they are both prospects Wilson has an eye for goal but as has been mentioned would be good if we can get a marquee signing up front !!!
Yeah I’d take Janmaat. He’s definitely an improvement over JOB! Vardy, Mahrez and Alli picked up all the player awards last season and combined cost less than £10m. And Payet was a bargain compared to Sterling or Depay.
Oh good. It seems like the club has managed to acquire the ego of the ‘big’ teams too. Has everyone forgotten what Leicester achieved already?
It would seem we have adopted the Roy hodgson approach to transfers. Don’t buy on ability or what the player offers just on name and reputation. I’m guessing so they’ll flog more shirts.
Come on Daves, West Ham are better than that.
I would rather buy only English players but as there are not enough good ones these days, I don;t care where they come from, as long as they are the right price.
I like the look of the boy to Teddy,there is too much stock put in having to sign foreign players because they are somehow superior.Having said that clearly someone like Lacazette is a step up in class.
I am a fan of Callum Wilson.I understand he has been out injured but he is a very good striker.I certainly wouldn’t call us small time buying someone like him.Of course our fans want to see some lavish European name signed but I really do think Wilson would be a top striker for us.Not that it appears it will happen.Does signing a reject from Liverpool,Benteke make us any bigger,i don’t see that myself.