By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
Say what you want about West Ham’s former recruitment chief Kyle Macaulay, but he knew how to pick a player who would increase in value.
In less than 12 months, Mateus Fernandes went from a £38 million footballer to one who was sold for £85 million. And now, with West Ham seemingly on the cusp of selling El Hadji Malick Diouf for over £35 million, it seems another big profit is set to be made on a Macaulay punt.
When both players arrived at the London Stadium, they were 21 and 20 years of age respectively. It did seem that the Hammers had a new strategy, which was welcome considering we’d spent too many years signing the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko, who, of course, was a good player but had already had the best of his career and was injury-prone.
Indeed, Macaulay was credited with recommending Diouf and Fernandes during his time heading up West Ham’s recruitment operation.
Because of that work, West Ham and, in particular, Daniel Křetínský now find themselves in the advantageous position of having valuable assets to cash in on.
Which is exactly why I’ve been worried by some of the players we’ve been linked with over the past few weeks. It’s also why I’m encouraged that Nils Koppen has made his priority signing a 22 year old in the shape of Arne Engels.
Kyle Macaulay’s time at West Ham was very short having paid £1m to extract him from his contract at Chelsea
West Ham need to repeat the trick
Buying players with potential and selling them for big money has worked particularly well for Brighton, who, of course, are a much smaller football club than West Ham.
But one thing Seagulls owner Tony Bloom does particularly well is reinvesting the profits in the next batch of young, upcoming talent.
And it’s precisely for this reason why I would like West Ham to push forward with their interest in Norwegian winger Edvin Austbø and why I’m delighted we’ve seemingly ditched thoughts of signing Reiss Nelson.
Austbø is very much the type of young signing who could potentially be purchased for less than £10 million now and sold for £40-50 million in the future.
Whilst I understand West Ham’s quest for oven-ready, proven players to get back to the Premier League, I would suggest there’s already plenty of experience at the football club.
Jarrod Bowen, Taty Castellanos, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Max Kilman, Edson Álvarez, Tomas Soucek, Kyle Walker-Peters and James Ward-Prowse are all seasoned professionals who know what they’re doing.
One can also argue that 27-year-old Manor Solomon brings exactly the same kind of maturity and experience needed.
Don’t waste Macaulay’s inheritance
Therefore, I think it’s incredibly important that having sold well, West Ham do not waste the fortunate inheritance bestowed upon them by a talent spotter who was at the club for less than a year.
The numbers demonstrate just how quickly that strategy can work. West Ham originally committed significant fees to both Fernandes and Diouf, but their subsequent development has put the club in a position to make enormous returns.
That’s the important bit.
Selling young players for big profits is only clever recruitment if you can identify the next ones.
Claret & Hugh has covered the huge turnover of players throughout this summer, but West Ham can’t simply keep cashing in on the family silver and replace it with loans, free transfers and ageing players.
Macaulay may have been at West Ham for less than a year, but his recruitment could end up helping the Hammers’ finances far more than anyone realised at the time.
Now it’s up to Koppen and the current recruitment team to make sure that inheritance isn’t wasted.
Gonzo, couldn’t have put it better myself
Buying young prospects, getting relegated, then selling them after one season for a profit to cover club losses, does not seem like an astute business plan to me.
We need to buy talented young players, keep them for several seasons, so that they can develop and bring us success on the pitch, then sell them for a profit and reinvest in the squad. Otherwise what’s the point? The hierarchy cover their debts and us fans get to watch a weaker squad every season.
You got it Jay.
Leicester are now likely to be selling more talented youngsters, possibly for a profit, yet are now League One.
Agree that the current philosophy is right, the players we are targeting are young and hungry, Engels has left European football and a guaranteed title to drop down to the championship he recognises that the EPL is the gold ticket and dropping down to the Championship with a team likely to bounce back into it is good for his career.
We need to buy higher quality when or if we go up and continue doing so, I like the look of the Man Utd kid that can play left back and left wing Harry Amass (possibly spelled wrong) and Austbø though he is likely to cost more than £10m as I think they turned down much higher last season.
Just playing Devils’ Advocate but… while West Ham some up & coming youngsters who now look like turning profits from sales, West Ham were relegated, costing hundreds £millions.
Edvin Austbo has had some good reviews, pacy, covers l/w, r/w, l/m.
Could be excellent cover for fatigued/injured Solomon.
Not quiet up to Summerville speed but close.
For £12m looks to be a player to have around and only 19.
Remarked his opinion ‘West Ham is a cool club’.
This could be another hot shot from Koppen.
Sacking Potter was deserved, but I could never understand why we paid off Macaulay, Chelsea didn’t and certainly United consider him of value
That guy could have picked out players for years to come, it will be interesting how Santos turns out, who he signed for Chelsea and now United.
Sacking Macaulay has been Sullivan or more likely Brady’s worst mistake of recent years, even worse than signing Loppy head or Potter…. or agreeing to sign players such as Ings etc etc etc etc etc etc
I think the transfer deals are at last looking good.
Yes I agree keep to some up and coming younger players for the future or who will make good money if sold on.
would love to see Austin signed seems a reasonable price and keen to join us.
I know we have been pushing all the transfer window for Parrot but he just is not keen coming back to England,so for me move in, and sign some one who wants to come to the club.
I am not sure on Vardy,Ali or Pogba but if wages not too high and short contracts might be worth the gamble as back up.
I am glad we have not progressed on Nelson, he sounds like a Cornet always injured.Could buy a up and coming youngster for 3 million, which hopefully have no history of long injuries
Excited for Sunday
COYI
If there is a way we can get in parrott and a winger and move on Pablo for a decent figure, only then would I take vardy.
Agree with your sentiments and point of the article, but wasn’t it Hahn who identified them?
Either way whoever decided to get rid of both of them was crazy. Much rather have them driving our recruitment now than Koppen and Nuno.