Quiet man boss keeping everything close to his chest
Manuel Pellegrini is pushing for several more new players even should he finally land his top priority signing, Felipe Anderson.
As reported here, the Lazio attacking midfielder is the subject of a new bid from the Hammers which if successful would push the club’s spending towards £70 million so far this summer.
Issa Diop at £22 million, and Anderson, would taken a great bite out of the £75 million understood to have been at the manager’s disposal.
But he also wants another central defender and midfield remains a major concern where maybe two more players can be expected.
Pellegrini admitted on his arrival that his desire was to bring in four or five new players and that hasn’t changed with his director of football Mario Husillos currently, or having already identified, the required targets.
However, both are aware there have to be departures and that will mean, apart from the obvious candidates of Sam Byram and Jordan Hugill, any of Winston Reid, Angelo Ogbonna, Arthur Masuaku, Edi Fernandes, Robert Snodgrass and Reece Oxford could be on their way.
Michail Antonio could be another but that decision – like all the others – entirely in the hands of Pellegrini who is determined to keep everything within the club very close to his chest.
All will be given the chance to show what they have in the pre-season but undoubtedly some critical decision are on the way.
If that many players are in the frame and we know how tight DS is i guess Arnautovic has been sold already ? I saw Arnie last week in a restaurant in Formentera, waited for him to finish his food and was going to ask him but he got straight on a launch out to a yacht with his friends…
As long as the net spend when all this is done is £70m then we trust in Pellegrini.
If it’s less then the board have stitched up another manager.
If it’s less and the Board, and their mouth pieces, start the rubbish about signing on fees, future year add ins and wages being part of a reason we end up with less than £70m, then there’ll be more pitch invasions next year.
Rightly or wrongly this will Be because fans have no other way of airing frustration at a board that manipulate the truth to make it look like reasons for cheap skate buys is some other reason.
They got plenty of Sky money and have moved us from our home, without at least 70m (which is too low vs the years of not spending, such as Payet money, but accepted by our tolerant fans, so we can move on) spend we all know the money is going in the boards sky rockets!