Away from the Staveley / Kretinsky/ Sullivan eternal triangle for a second, the clock is ticking down on the start of West Ham’s crucial Championship season.
Without new signings, the Hammers risk another stuttering start to a crucial campaign such as we were all forced to witness twelve months ago, with Graham Potter starting disastrously and the club suddenly panic-buying in the last week of the window.
With Nuno demanding Premier League – standard players, the task of recruiting has been challenging: The Irons are still waiting, apparently, Lingard-like, on the whim of Axel Disasi, hoping against hope that he might still be available come 1st September and end up back at east London by default.
The policy might have worked for him at Wolves where he signed Ruben Neves, Diogo Jota, Wily Bolt and a host of others, but there are signs that realism needs to seep into West Ham United’s strategy, with reports of second – tier players now being under consideration to get the job done in the next twelve months.
Sheffield United’s midfielder would surely rather head back to Coventry City should the Sky Blues come knocking
Sheffield United midfielder Gustavo Hamer would be a case in point. At 29 years old he’s hardly an untapped resource but he has the creativity and ‘assist’ stats to be a very handy Championship operator.
“West Ham United have entered the race for Sheffield United midfielder Gustavo Hamer……
Few midfielders influenced Championship matches as consistently as Hamer during the 2025/26 campaign. He scored five league goals, supplied 11 assists across 37 Championship appearances and completed the season with one goal from his only EFL Cup outing. Those figures placed him among the division’s leading creators, while his set-piece delivery, passing range and willingness to press gave Sheffield United an edge whenever possession changed hands.” (The4thofficial.net)
However, there is now a serious threat from Coventry City, who are apparently considering re-signing a player who they sold three years ago and for whom Sheffield United still owe millions in outstanding payments.
A £10-£15m price tag and Sheffield United’s financial vulnerability could combine to land a very capable operator. However given the choice between a newly promoted top tier Coventry and a relegated second division Hammers, few would blame Hamer for taking the step up to Premier League football back at a club at which he is highly regarded by fans.
Leaving poor little ol’ West Ham the losers-again. Same old story of this transfer window, if we aren’t careful. Who’d be Nils Koppen just now.