No More Crocks In The Box

West Ham are stepping up their interest in Brentford and Algeria forward 24 year old Said Benrahma, though much will depend on which division his club are in, Brentford needed four points from their final two games of the season to finish second after West Brom lost at Huddersfield, but back-to-back defeats mean Thomas Frank's side will now face Swansea in the play-off semi-finals as they bid to reach the top flight for the first time in 73 years. Benrahma is an excellent prospect with an impeccable injury record, he would be an astute signing but being one of the West London club's main assets he will not come cheap.

The complete polarisation of the interest in Benrahma is that the Irons are 'looking at' Callum Wilson, was once valued at £70 million by Bournemouth (Bleacher Report). The south coast outfit would surely get nowhere near that amount now, especially if they get relegated. The four-capped England international has scored nine goals in 38 games for Eddie Howe’s side this season, but Wilson has experienced horrendous injury problems in the past, so signing him would represent a huge risk for West Ham who must surely by now realise the folly of signing players with a track record of sustaining serious injuries!

No more crocks in the box please, offloading profligate 'vanity' signings like Jack Wilshere will be a herculean task, especially given the financial restrictions all but the most elite of clubs are facing, the squad David Moyes inherited for his 'second coming' was bloated, unbalanced and overpaid. Moyes will oversee a dual cull with two objectives, firstly trim the enormous wage bill, and up the energy levels of the squad by reducing the average age by a huge amount. He may have to recall Winston Reid if the New Zealander can stay fit, leaving him in America whilst paying 80% of his wages makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, Reid and Balbuena will be put on the market but realistically Balbuena would be most teams choice given the option.

In our opinion Fabian Balbuena has done little wrong, the pairing of Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna has been so successful that he has found himself occupying the bench for emergencies, and being used as a late sub to run down the clock. In an ideal world Balbuena would be retained but the layer himself wants to play and the club could get decent money for him, whereas no one would realistically want Reid because of his injury record, so if it comes to mainly being on the bench why not recall Reid? After all the club is paying just shy of £65,000 per week for him to be in the sunshine state playing for another club!

To end this report on a positive note, astonishingly Alavés are planning to sign goalkeeper Roberto from West Ham this summer on a permanent deal, the GaGo calamity keeper has been on loan there since the last transfer window AND they are very impressed with him! Crikey mikey, snap their hands off before they change their minds. The hapless keeper was the principal cause of Manuel Pellegrini's dismissal, having conceded over two goals per disastrous game when he played, cutting Roberto's £30,000 per week wages will be a huge relief but we will only believe it when it is officially confirmed.

Speculation will be rife as to player arrivals and departures, but one clear direction must emerge, no more crocks, in the box or not! - Ed