Manager David Moyes – no doubt with some help from de facto director of football David Sullivan – has to make up his mind whether he will find around £15 million plus agents fees for Josh King or spend the majority of his budget on a defender or two.
ClaretandHugh has learned that King won’t be allowed to leave Bournemouth on the cheap despite prices as as low as £10 million having been mentioned.
There have been reports today from the London Evening Standard that the Irons have started talks with King’s agent Jim Solbakken.
But were Moyes to give the nod to a signing it would see him moving in a totally different direction to the defensive priorities he has been regularly discussing during the transfer window.
With around £30 million available the Hammers are continuing to chase a number of players and it seems unlikely that the manager will be tempted into blowing the majority of it up front.
Think they might have both up their sleeve.
They have cleared the decks in salaries and have funds in the banks.
Think it will go to the wire with Bournemouth but they need to cash more than us.
Interesting article on who the agents are for all the players linked to us, no coincidence!
For me a team that scores loads of goals rarely gets in trouble, but our defence has been appalling for years, if you don’t let any in like Burnley you always have a chance.
But being West Ham, always go for goals !!
We can’t play the negotiation game that most clubs are able to play because Sully has been publicly “Bleating”.
If we were, to be honest, the team needs reinforcing ALL over the pitch, front, back and the middle.
I would hate to have to make those decisions with the pocket change that’s available.
the defense is not that bad right now and we always have Rice as fall back. Score goals and you tend to get points (not always with us!!!!) but you get the idea. So go bold upfront
All the best championship players from last year have already been sold to premier league clubs or playing there because they got promoted. Benrahma still available. He’s the best of them. Blow the budget on him.
King not the player he was, if he ever was. Was always second fiddle to Wilson. can’t even get into a relegated Bournemouth team. Still, might be useful as a back up for Antonio. Only a matter of time before Antonio gets injured again.
But is Benrama better than Josh King ? King is cheaper and it would leave us 20k more for 2 more players . . . . . . Or 5 more Czech players.
If there is £30 million and we get king for say £16 to £18 cos he won’t be sold cheap we have £12 To £14 left. Therefore we could get a decent central defender from the championship for that or a LB surely. That would improve us if we get who DM wants rather than cheap squad players the Sully would probably prefer.
Josh King is one of the most underrated players out there, I would go for him because he can score and create goals and is a team player. I think defensively if we had too some of our u23’s could cover the centre back positions but none of them can cover the striker positions.