It remains to be seen what effect yesterday’s momentous announcement from within West Ham United’s boardroom will have on the summer transfer window. The stated ambition to ‘retain key players’ is a tough ask whilst complying with new SCR (squad cost ratio) rules which limit payroll to 85% of income in the Championship.
The 50% salary reduction clauses in player contracts are something of a double edged sword, helping the club comply with the requirement to reduce costs but at the same time actively driving players and their agents to seek moves back to the more lucrative green pastures of the Premier League.
Free signings and loan deals were likely the order of the day, pre-Kretinsky and Gold’s power move.
Traditionally, relegated sides have turned to the ‘free’ markets to pick up tried and tested Championship players to fill their depleted ranks for the arduous and bruising forty six game campaign.
Dael Fry fits that category: Reports last week linked the Irons with the talented defender – a free agent – which suggested the trajectory, albeit before the Kretinsky – Gold statement.
It will be interesting to see how the Hammers’ transfer strategy develops once the new board has a man in place to conduct business.
Insidefutbol.com offer further evidence that the Irons plan to hit the ‘free’ markets this summer:
“West Ham United hold an interest in free agent defender Danilho Doekhi and could even offer him a non-promotion clause to persuade him to join” –
And later in the same article:
West Ham are actively working to recruit quality players who will help them get promoted and they are suggested to be competing with Rangers for [ former Sunderland midfielder] Dan Neil’s signature. Neil is another player who is a free agent this summer, which suits West Ham’.
West Ham target ‘free’ agent Dan Neil – but face a whole heap of PL competition
A core of Premier League players plus a new influx of tried and tested ‘free’ signings and loan talent would seem the most cost-effective way for the Hammers to get the biggest bang for their bucks.
At least, with Nuno on the training pitch you’d hope there is a decent judge of quality assessing each prospective recruit. Not perfect, subject to ‘human’ lapses of fair judgement – just ask James Ward Prowse – but as good as any other.
Quite how it all fits together at this stage is anybody’s guess and until West Ham appoint a senior figure to head their recruitment we will be none the wiser. Time for fans to wait and trust the process and the people – which seems a whole lot easier than under the previous regime.
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Nuno is a good judge. Ward Prowse put himself in the position he found himself in. Get the ball and pass as soon as you can, even if it is a hospital pass, leaves a colleague in real trouble, causes a goal, as long as he did not have to deal with it. Couldn’t hold a ball in midfield, could not score, or assist from a Set piece anymore. A complete and utter waste of time and wages. So let him decide who to keep no matter what and who to get rid of.
If we can attract the best free transfers am all for it, Dan Neill was Sunderland captain before Xhaka joined them, thought we were also after Webster ? Who would be another good signing.
Who do we want to keep ?
For me it would be Hermansen, KWP, Mav, Scarles,
Bowen, Magassa, Potts, Soucek, Kante, Summerville, Castellanos
Would love to keep Fernandes but probably a step too far along with Jimmy the rest of them could go, ie Areola, AWB, Todibo, Kilman, Diouf, Pablo, Wilson, Cornet, Alvarez, JWP
So potentially 12 out which could give us a huge surplus if we get reasonable prices. Maybe as much as a combined £250m with Jimmy and Fernandes included.
Good call for the most part. Can’t see us hanging on to Summerville – he is in the Fernandes category. Also, would not be too disappointed to see Magassa leave. We also need an older no-nonsense leader (as Nolan was last time). Time for Nobes to lace up his boots!
Loan Players from the Prem re a good Idea but how many would willingly come
maybe an equivalent to Dissi from Chelsea , but then bigger clubs have a habit of recalling them if they do well
and Disasi for Istance would want astroimical wages for a Championship player.
Loan players only benefits the club that owns them and will not help us build a team, so I hope we stay away from that as much as possible tbh.
I think we should also diverse into the loan marketing, and get some players from PL clubs that are on the føringer/ looking to break through. Rio from Liverpool (highly unlikely), Nypan from City are two exciting prospects