‘Passing’ on this deal may come back to haunt West Ham

Some shrewd business has been taking place – away from London Stadium of course – this transfer window. Aston Villa, flush from grabbing the £64 million for ‘trouble maker’ Jhon Duran’s transfer to the Saudi club Al Nassr have wasted little time in replacing him.

According to football journalist David Ornstein, Villa have progressed interest with Manchester United’s equally troubled Marcus Rashford to the point where it is expected to be a done deal any day. It was reported that West Ham did have the opportunity to lure Rashford to London Stadium as he was keen to work with Graham Potter. Let us hope the decision to ‘pass’ on Manchester United’s fallen superstar doesn’t come back to haunt West Ham.

Importantly, the deal with Manchester United is likely to include an option to buy, as well as a ‘significant salary coverage’ with Rashford apparently agreeing to take less. Whilst the arguments against taking Rashford still hold water, Unai Emery is obviously not phased by the challenge of helping Rashford re-kindle the greatness. West Ham, contrastingly, still have ‘zero’ in columns for both player departures and arrivals with under three days to go in the window.

The Irons would have faced a big push back from their own fans if Rashford were heading to London Stadium, so I’d not change my stance from feeling a bullet has been dodged by failing to act on the possibility of bringing the England International to West Ham.

Providing of course that West Ham do manage to bring somebody not named ‘Marcus Rashford’ to the club to replace Antonio, Ings and Fullkrug and actually enable Potter’s side to offer a goal threat.

Despite being ever hopeful that behind the Hammers’ inscrutable visage there is activity taking place which is being kept well away from the media – after so many transfer windows bringing in nobody, the realist in me keeps doubting that anyone will actually materialise in the two and a half days that remain.