West Ham’s midfield talent void is something of a priority for Director of Recruitment Nils Koppen as Nuno gets down to work with his squad of ex- Premier League payers.
The departure of Mateus Fernandes has underlined how two dimensional the midfield is now, with combative solidity being the order of the day. Magassa, Kanté, Potts (and Alvarez) offer similar solutions and the youngsters – Lewis Orford, Preston Fearon and George Earthy – are seemingly not adjudged to be ready for the step up.
That would explain West Ham’s search for a creative addition this summer. As Claret and Hugh’s article yesterday, Sheffield United’s Sydie Peck still features on the wish list.
Sheffield news outlet The Star is convinced that Peck will be plucked away from his cash-strapped Sheffield home,”
“Harrison Burrows is reportedly being eyed up by West Ham and the Blades’ new Championship rivals are also monitoring midfielder Sydie Peck….the Hammers could make their move for England U21 international Peck in the coming week.”
At just 21, Peck is far away from Fernandes’ quality but is evidently seen as potentially offering something new for Nuno’s squad. As fan site Sheffieldunitedway put it earlier in the season:
“Peck’s style is highly intelligent on the ball and has great adaptability. What sets him apart is his work rate and awareness: making tackles, winning duels, and recycling possession efficiently. His numbers this term as opposed to last season suggest a growing comfort in dictating tempo, rather than just reacting to it. As he gains more confidence, his influence in the final third and on the game in general is likely to improve further.
Peck’s high price- believed to be £25m – makes the alternatives -such as James McAtee -suddenly look far better value
Of course, the only downside to this is that the former Arsenal player is likely putting himself firmly in the shop window. If Sheffield United fail to secure promotion this season, a summer move to the Premier League could be realistic for Peck.”
Nuno will be facing the tough £25 million question about now: Does Peck at 21 offer value compared with the up and coming talent already hiding in plain sight within his own crop of youngsters.
Twenty five million for a couple of seasons of experience is a big price to pay so West Ham cannot afford to get it wrong.
Suddenly the possibility of a James McAtee for £30 million look more appetising: No wonder there’s a deafening silence from the recruitment team as the Hammers wrestle with their midfield talent recruitment quandary.
To me deafening silence isn’t a surprise with Kretinsky as the main shareholder. He isn’t referred to as the Czech Sphinx for nothing and I doubt he’s keen on employees of the club being leaky on his behalf.
It’d be great to have an explanation on why anyone would think otherwise. Not to say I’m right you’re wrong but to understand what I’m missing.