West Ham fans will be somewhat divided over the second signing of the summer when it comes together as ‘in the know’ Fabrizio Romano has declared 99% likely. With gaping gaps in the squad after the seven -or is it nine – first team departures, filling the gaps with Premier League quality players on ‘just’ the Mohammed Kudus money was going to take a large amount of wizardry.
The Kyle Walker Peters agreement will best be judged come the end of the window on 2nd September.
West Ham could have spent £15-20 million on one of the right backs mentioned in recent reports – Arnau Martinez or Oscar Minguenza were the favourites – as younger more shrewd financial investments knowing that their value would increase over their playing career.
Not the case with Walker Peters who came on a ‘free’ – several million in signing-on and agent fees no doubt – but will most likely KWP leave as did Coufal on a ‘free’ in three years time.
What happens next – where else the Hammers recruitment team use that cash that they didn’t splash on a right back -will be massive in determining the sense or otherwise of bringing in Walker Peters who at 28 is hardly at the youthful end of the spectrum.
Homegrown, as a Coufal replacement and cover for the full backs he’s either a ‘shrewd, decent-quality option‘ or ‘another older David Sullivan freebie‘ depending on your view.
If the Hammers get a decent Premier League striker and midfielder over the line in the next month or so, most likely the ‘pro’ KWP brigade will point to the savings made on not shelling out for a full-back as being a big contributor to the overall squad enhancement. Does Walker Peters enhance the squad? Absolutely. 12 months ago he was worth £20 million.
Providing there aren’t multiple free signings of crocked thirty-somethings come the end of the window, Walker-Peters might just be a shrewd acquisition. BUT… the cynics will proclaim David Sullivan slipping in a cheeky free transfer as being West Ham being ‘back to their bad old ways’ and predict that the Walker-Peters signing is a prequel for Jamie Vardy , Michail Antonio or worse, Callum Wilson to be unveiled as the Hammers’ number nine.
Me i’ll just wait and see.
Astute signing. Provides cover for both left back and full back and maybe left wing and right wing if needed.
A shrewd signing for free. There’s still talk about a few more of our squad moving on from Aguerd, Rodriguez, Alvarez, Mavropanos, Ward-Prowse, Irving, Cornet and Paqueta (the only one I hope stays) and a couple of the young players on loan. With so many gone since the end of June, it leaves much space for more activity. The Leicester ‘keeper perhaps. The two Liverpool lads. I can see Grealish arriving for a year. Will Antonio prove his fitness for a short term deal? If not, we need two strikers. The next few weeks could be enlightening for Graham Potter’s plans.
Well the one excuse they cannot use is that he needs to get used to the premier league….but i am expecting an early injury to keep him out for months!
We can’t just hedge our bets on too many youngsters especially from leagues in Europe. KWP is a really good player, will be pushing AWB for his spot and will be a positive energy around the camp. This is a great signing imo
Yeah we’re really gone overboard on fresh young talent. Better revert to signing players who are past their prime. We’re running low on those.
Think you’re over egging the divided opinions tbh – perhaps you don’t personally agree with the signing.
For what I have seen on social, its overwhelmingly been seen as a good signing – with the odd exception from a couple of usual suspects
I agree, great signing as cover for AWB and Diouff and any injuries we pick up. Just need a couple of strikers now⚒️⚒️⚒️⚒️COYI⚒️⚒️⚒️⚒️
Personally I think he is a good purchase as he is a top quality full/wing back – an England international let’s not forget – who is comfortable playing on both the left and right where we will need cover during AFCON. He also has pace. Bearing in mind the “we are skint” mantra emanating out of Sullivan towers he is the right man at the right price.
Do you have inside knowledge that Martinez or Mingueza would 100% sign for us? Yes being younger is an advantage obviously, and both are highly rated. But if they weren’t interested in signing for us, then you have to move on.
I’m sure the same people who are saying that Walker-Peters is the wrong signing, would also be the same to moan that we waited for Martinez or Mingueza only for them to go elsewhere and then also missed out on Walker- Peters, who was about to sign for Besiktas.
As to your point of whether Walker-Peters will be happy to play back up to Wan Bissaka or Diouf, would Martinez or Mingueza accept that role? Because I don’t see anyone shifting Wan Bissaka and the manager has obviously bought Diouf to start.
That leaves the period of the AFCON and we’re now covered by having Scarles and Walker-Peters. Plus as yet, Emerson.
Walker-Peters is a decent back up.
But regardless of what unfolds over the course of the window, or the season in fact, this is the wrong approach.
This type of deal is why every summer is a major rebuild. We always have a significant number of players past their prime on big wages that we can’t shift because of high wages and have no resale value anyway.
So we can’t generate funds or squad places for a refresh.
It’s totally shortsighted and it just repeats the cycle.
Someone needs to have some long term vision for the squad.
I personally think this is a good signing a good solid squad player and good cover for our fullback and cover for when diof (not sure how to spell his name yet)heads out to African nations cup , shrewd signing I’d say
It’s an okay signing but it’s so shortsighted.
He maybe raises the floor but he doesn’t raise the ceiling.
It will be a lot of money just to do that.
Spot on ..
I’m presuming that AWB and Diouf are going to be our 1st choice wing backs. They would be mine. So KWP on a free makes sense to me. Can cover both flanks and does not cost the 15m-20m that the others potentially would’ve to sit on the bench. Plus the added benefit of being home grown and knows the league. If memory serves me rightly, he ran rings round us when we played them last season. But who didn’t at times. I know it’s not truly a free what with signing on fees etc but just makes logical sense.
It’s not a wow signing, but it’s a sensible one. We can beef up the right side fullbacks again next season if needs be. It would be nice to get shot of Mav & Emerson, and bring in a commanding CB, and an auxiliary CB/FB like Martinez to cover when Todibo is having one of his “issues”. Watching the club propaganda video yesterday, Aguerd looked to have his feet under the table again. Not sure if that means he’s going to take another bite of the cherry. We need to clear out some dead wood in midfield too. I’d like to keep Alverez, but I suspect he is the only midfielder who could command any decent fees. I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up with Calvert-Lewin come the end of the window, I don’t see us linked with any strikers at the moment.
I always thought he was a lightweight defender .
Good going forward though .
However , on a free as cover , he makes sense .
And 28 isn’t old !!
No he wasn’t worth £20m because not a single club was prepared to pay it. Just because a club puts a high valuation on a player doesn’t make him worth it. A very poor signing.