Stalling is nothing new at West Ham. David Moyes was renown for it, missing some pretty illustrious deals along the way: The Viktor Gyokeres ‘fail’ will be one of Moyes epic errors from his time at the club, but it is part of football: Every manager will look back wistfully upon that player he ducked out of signing, or the one that got away – a little like Cole Palmer being lined up to come to West Ham – the club folklore of transfer fails grows with every season.
Coventry City’s Gyokeres could have come to West Ham for £18 million, before Moyes decided against him, and the player signed for Sporting Lisbon in the summer of ’23. Fast forward two years and Gyokeres is “one of most coveted strikers in Europe this summer” with a €100m release clause. (football.london).
So when another striker linked with the Hammers in January – but another deal on which West Ham ‘stalled’ – fires in four goals and two assists in the few weeks the winter window has been closed, West Ham need to sit up and take notice. Brian Brobbey was available from Ajax on a loan to buy option, but a cash-strapped Sullivan stalled on the £30 million purchase requirement and Brobbey returned to Ajax and has been doing the business since.
Hopefully Potter and Macaulay still have the radar switched on and have Brobbey on screen. The next time he shows up his price will have skyrocketed: West Ham need to avoid missing out again and lamenting another ‘missed opportunity’.
Brobbey will be creating waves in the Premier League soon enough and it would be head-bangingly frustrating to see him crashing through defences in his own Antonio-like style for another Premier League rival next season. £30 million is affordable West Ham money and this is one young handful of a striker who is amenable to coming to West Ham and ready to hit the ground running.
Hmm I’ve been thinking about this and I’ve decided not having regrets is important because it reflects a mindset of acceptance, growth, and forward momentum. Regrets often stem from dwelling on past decisions or actions—things we can’t change—which can trap us in a cycle of guilt, shame, or “what ifs.” Letting go of regrets doesn’t mean ignoring mistakes; it means learning from them and using that wisdom to live more intentionally now. Psychologically, it frees up mental energy—studies suggest rumination on regret can increase stress and even depression over time. Philosophically, it’s about embracing life’s imperfection; every choice, even the messy ones, shapes who we are. Plus, time’s a one-way street—focusing on what’s ahead rather than what’s behind keeps us engaged with the present and open to what’s next.
Refuse to buy the right players , buy the wrong players and sell the wrong players as well as unable to negotiate and make the deal . does not bode well for Westham . It took Potter more than two years to get Brighton over performing with a competent board and so with Sullivan and Brady calling the shots , good luck .
We seem to have this time and time again hopefully Sullivan will listen to potter and co on who to bring to the club because if it’s left to Sullivan we will have big problems and no manager and his staff as they know who they want so let’s hope they get who they want rather than who can we get on the cheap signing players past there best is something else that needs to change
The list of fails by the board is epic.
The two dithering daves between them lost Ivan Toney offered to us first by Sullivans mate Barry fry before that Watkins Julien alvarez we could have had for 10 million same as toneys fee. And as you said gykores and Moyes and Sullivan between them turned the lot down on the prefeix of we don’t need them we had antoio, now I don’t know about you Antonio was ok but as a striker his return was never prolific all the above scored three times as many goals per season and between the dithering daves wouldn’t know a striker and now we’re still looking for one, And Sullivan and Brady now in charge of finding one
Not so much the ones that got away how about the one they’ve got?
Guilherme.
His potential to be a money spinner needs to be anylised carefully/quickly before joining the many other mistakes.
Sully/Potter get your long term financial head on!!!!!