It appears that key decisions have already been taken at West Ham regarding the sale of the club’s biggest assets in the upcoming transfer window. Media reports name asking prices for players clearly in the shop window for summer suitors: Mateus Fernandes at £80 million heads the list with Jarrod Bowen now – apparently – priced at £50 million according to latest reports.
Whether the Hammers will receive anything like that for their almost thirty-year old skipper is another matter.
Far more likely that bidders will be queueing up for Crysencio Summerville, for whom it is claimed the asking price is now £40 million, with suitors around Europe lining up to do business.
Behind these headline grabbing huge numbers, there are other decisions which pale into insignificance financially but which can have a big impact on how the Hammers line up next season, amongst them the small matter of Keiber Lamadrid.
Will Nuno stick or twist ? West Ham’s forgotten man – Keiber Lamadrid
Remember him?
West Ham hold an option to purchase the 22 year old Venezuelan who has spent half a season on loan with seemingly very little impact. Other than an FA Cup cameo in which he was largely invisible, Lamadrid hasn’t featured and instinct suggests he’ll be returned unwanted to Venezuela to continue his career development.
However with a tiny £1 million option fee required to make his signing permanent, there seems little down side to bringing the young man on board, even if just as a speculative signing to try and ‘flip’ him for a profit in another year.
He might just turn out to be a diamond in the rough, and a ‘mere’ million quid doesn’t buy what it used to, even at Championship level.
Right now Nuno needs numbers as the exodus begins so it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Hammers make Lamadrid’s loan permanent and at least make a small dent in the huge rebuild task that awaits over the next three months.
Not worth the risk, as far as I am concerned. But, The Manager should be far better equipped to make that assessment than I am. However, other “better qualified” people made those sort of assessments on the likes of Cornet, Fulkrug, Kilman etc !!!
As Nuno was a keeper I’m not sure how good he would be at training a striker for example. I’ve heard many managers don’t take training. Rednapp and Ferguson to mention 2. But you often see footage of Nuno on the training ground so not sure where these stories come from that he doesn’t take training. I thought that was one thing Nuno did that was better than Potter, Loppy and Moyes and that was giving some of the academy players a chance although as you say some have regressed
I think Kante could come of age in the championship, was impressed with substitute appearances.
You are right, he looked really good. Had an impact when he came on, did not seem fazed by it all. Hope we get to see plenty of him – exciting player.
For the last 3seasons WHU have had a marvellous academy and you can see that by the amount of young players that have come through, Ollie Scarles Mayers Potts Goalebekis and Kante obviously as these players come through and join the bench it makes the Under21’s appear weaker but even with these players left we still have Fearon Ajala Cummings and will always attract good young players i e Medine Herrick and I hope that it continues, don’t forget that we have won cups and been in finals over the last few years and I have no doubt that now we are in the championship there will be a pathway for many new academy players to come through
I thought in a 442 formation he looked a lot better than the formation Nuno started with. Was a shame he didn’t get more game time. If he is good enough for an experiment we should sign him.
Depends on the coaching setup at WHU. Thought NES was someone who developed players, but also hear he is more an offish manager, which you cannot be if you are a footballing coach (who takes training & player development) and want to get the most out of your players.
Also, Potts regressed and Magassa did not progress, no idea about Scarles but Diouf played every match on his return. Apparently Potts had good statistics at Portsmouth, numbers impossible to replicate as a purely DM, his role at WHU. So was he tied down to a restrictive role by the manager?
If WHU cannot develop youngsters and they deem it sufficient for youngsters to rub shoulders with the established players, then the 1st and periphery coaching setup is as bad as everything else at the club. To be honest, perhaps the rot has set in from top to bottom as this is what happens at any professional entity which is poorly run and is stagnating – although I sincerely hope not. Who knows?
Should WHU employ Lamadrid? Actually, for his own good, should Lamadrid stay?
Being able to develop and improve youngsters at WHU is going to be key over the next 3 seasons and after. No idea, but so far impression is ex-academy players do not receive individual additional coaching given lack of improvement & results on the pitch. If true it is a disgrace, laziness and a tremendous waste of talent and there will be nothing but unfulfilled potential at the club.
Totally agree with you here Peter. However, with Steve Potts and Mark Robson having stepped up from the younger teams to 1st team coaching duties you would think their past experiences would have benefited the younger members of the team. Perhaps when you’re in a season-long relegation battle it is much harder to turn away from the established players and bring in the youth who might be seen as a gamble in such a scenario. Fingers crossed this coming season proves your comment wrong. I guess only time will tell.
My turn to agree with you Saul – in a relegation battle with 60 000 pairs of eyes watching your every mistake it is not ideal. Maybe it is what happened a bit to Potts who obviously wants to do so well at his boyhood club (and his Dad’s).
Just personally, I hope they receive additional one-on-one coaching because this is what they need, as they must add to their game and work on specific aspects that are still missing, not just practice what they are already good at. For this Steve Potts & Mark Robson have to tell NES, ‘this is what we need to do with so and so’ and this has to be part of the whole 1st team setup. No idea if it is or not. If NES runs it as a standard 1st team coaching session you are assuming players already have what is needed and that will not help their development.
If they make it in the 1st team that will be great, because there are some exciting players in the bunch.