West Ham’s search for a creative, pacy midfielder will be stepped up this week, according to reliable sources. The Hammers showed yesterday just why there is an urgency to bolster their resources ahead of the transfer window end, with a poor midfield performance against Lille in the Boyle Sports Cup with second half trio of Rodriguez, Soucek and Ward-Prowse coming in for particular criticism.
Hammers fans have for weeks been urging the club to take forward their reported interest in Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott: Being the antithesis of the Hammers current crop of old, immobile and two dimensional midfielders, Elliott would revitalise the West Ham squad whilst pretty much guaranteeing himself a starting position week in, week out, which he doesn’t have at present at Anfield.
Trouble is, other clubs share West Ham’s appreciation of the 22 year old and now reportedly, today, Bundesliga side RB Leipzig are planning a bid to attract him to Germany. According to the mirror.co.uk:
“Harvey Elliott offered Liverpool escape option….Leipzig have made contact with both Liverpool and Elliott over a move. Elliott is a boyhood Liverpool fan and is understood to be reluctant to leave, but is prepared to move on for the good of his career.”
If the Hammers ever held any realistic hopes of tempting Elliot to east London, the clock is ticking down and surely it will be a case of another West Ham ‘aspirational’ target slipping through the net: Much like the Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall move to Everton, it will be a case of watch and weep for the Hammers as both dynamic midfielders will be a massive upgrade for their new clubs and could, of course, have revitalised West Ham.
It seems no one over low £20m fees is coming to West Ham in this window so this is never happening.
Amazing at the thought is that we need to go all out and spend a lot of money on a Liverpool benchwarmer. Today he sat on the bench for 86 minutes in what used to be the old Charity Shield and then helped his side lose by missing in the penalty shoot out. Not saying he isn’t a decent player but if he was the wonder kid Liverpool keep suggesting he is they wouldn’t be letting him go. Maybe he is one for the future but I remember a season when we had the team of the future and when we went down everyone else picked up our stars of tomorrow for a pittance.
We do need to sign a striker
Gueye would be perfect
We need a quick young striker who knows where the goal is
We attack really well and if we had a good finisher. And take the strain off Bowen Fulkrug would be good as he seems to be getting his fitness back
I think we should keep Souceck,there are always goals in him and he puts everything he has in him when he plays
Ward-Prowse has so under performed,not even any goals from free kicks,has been very disappointing
As for Rodriquez not good enough in my opinion
I think they both need a change just doesn’t fit in with Potters plans
You seem to have it in for Soucek Martin, he came on during the second half and made our goal. He also covers more ground than most of our team. Who do you have in mind to replace our 9 goal a season marathon runner? It certainly wouldn’t de Dewsbury-Hall I can tell you
Not too bothered on Dewsbury-Hall,but if we had any chance to seal Elliott that would be massive
But I think he wants European football
I don’t believe there was ever a net at West Ham for him to slip through. He never wanted to get stuck with the current version of West Ham (why would he, he wants to play for England), and West Ham want everything for a bargain price. So, that said, lower your expectations for players below the £15m mark and hope they turn out to be a pearl.
(second half trio of Rodriguez, Soucek and Ward-Prowse coming in for particular criticism) Really? I thought we improved considerably towards the end of the second after the substitutions were made.