Forum | General Discussion

Matheus Fellipe Costa Pereira is a 25 year old Brazilian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or right winger. Given Hammers recent 'dalliance' with exotic Brazilian midfielder/wingers in the form of Felipe Anderson, a liaison which was catastrophically unsuccessful, why are fans clambering for the club to sign another player of exactly the same ilk?

Well, although Pereira shares the same birthplace, he doesn't share the same work ethic, namely he puts himself about, never shirks a tackle and is NOT intimidated by burly centre backs or strapping midfield enforcers. Ironically he kept ex-Hammer Grady Diangana out of West Brom's starting line up, despite the fact the Baggies paid more than twice the price for Grady as opposed to that which they paid for Pereira.

Along with other Irons' target, Sam Johnstone, Pereira was West Brom's stand out player in an otherwise desperately poor season which saw them relegated straight back from where they had come from! That is not to say that Pereira won't shine in a 'proper' top flight team.

In fact given the chances that were regularly created, but not converted, by West Ham last season, there could indeed be the mouth watering prospect of him linking up with the forward line to further enhance Hammers 'need for speed' if he moves to the London Stadium.

Pereira's dead ball capabilities are an added and significant bonus, a quality recently lacking in David Moyes's squad. The only fly in the ointment is the Baggies valuation of the player they signed for just £8.5 Million just before the beginning of last season having turned his loan deal from Sporting CP into a permanent one.

It is rumoured that West Brom are asking as much as £30 Million for Pereira, however that figure is incredibly optimistic given the current state of financial affairs due to th eCovid pandemic, a figure of around half of that would be more realistic and possibly just within the reach of David Moyes' slender transfer kitty.

Obviously the interest in Pereira is a direct result of Manchester United's intransigence regarding the eventual destination of Jesse lingard, Moyes would be more than stupid if he put all his eggs in one basket, especially given United's genuine fear of being overhauled by a bunch of what they see as East End Pikey's.

The Red Devils will do all that they can to be awkward over the Lingard transfer and will wring things out until the last possible moment, a situation that Hammers need to be wary of. It seems that Moyes isn't prepared to 'dance the dance' with his former employers regarding Lingard and that is how it should be.

Yes Moyes would 'love' lingard to become part of his set up, but he won't allow himself to be pressurised by ever increasing and unreasonable demands. Pereira represents a serious alternative to Lingard, he is four years younger and while he may have a lot to learn, could be just the player to fill Lingard's void, and he will probably end up costing much less.

We don't mind whether Moyes brings in Lingard or Pereira, so long as he brings one of them!- Ed

Years ago Alex Ferguson shocked the domestic football fraternity by selecting Beckham, Giggs and Scholes for Manchester United's first team instead of buying in players at vastly inflated prices from other clubs. Ferguson's decision proved to be a masterstroke and set the cornerstone of what was to become their most successful era.

Quite why Ferguson chose to promote from within is still not clear, other than the fact that all three players had shone at a very early age and were part of United's FA Youth trophy winning team. Being a canny Scot Ferguson knew that the Red Devils were being shafted on transfer fees, so it is quite likely he just decided enough was enough.

David Moyes is one of the most experienced managers in the Barclays Premier League, he will be painfully aware at just how TINY his transfer budget really is, minus the smoke and mirrors! Some of the 'bargains' being suggested by various media in order to click bait readers are beyond a joke and are based on figures that cannot in any way add up.

It is common for European clubs to feature 'young starlets', mainly to put them in the shop window for clubs who have more money than sense, but also because there isn't the 'age agenda' in Europe, only in the UK. If you consider some of the central midfielders West Ham have been linked with over the last few weeks and their relative costs including wages, there is a distinct reason for looking close to home for players, MUCH closer to home.

Hammers are currently blessed with an astonishing array of up and coming talented youngsters, since David Moyes's arrival many hopefuls have been shown the door, but there is a crop of really promising lads coming through the ranks, none more so than Conor Coventry and Ekwah Elimby, both play in midfield, an area where the club are in desperate need of reinforcements for Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek, with only the ageing and due to retire soon Mark Noble available as first team back up.

Both Coventry and Elmby have really impressed Moyes and his staff and could be used as back ups for the main squad instead of staying with the U-23's, if that is the case then the club could not only save a fortune but give fans the satisfaction of seeing one or two of 'their own' make the grade.

Surely a better option than players who have already failed elsewhere, aren't they? - Ed

Chelsea's desire to sell Tammy Abraham almost matches Hammers' need for a striker, so it should be a straight forward deal that can be arranged easily shouldn't it? Well somehow West Ham's 'above' average performance last season had led to the club being viewed as more of a serious local contender than either Tottenham or Arsenal.

Chelsea have made it clear that the prospective purchaser of Tammy Abraham musn't be a direct rival, is that why they have a preference for Abraham to go to the Gooners or their North London rivals! The news that Chelsea want to part exchange Abraham has gone down like a lead balloon with the 23 year old, he will NOT be at Chelsea by the time the transfer window closes, that is guaranteed.

David Moyes wants Lingard and Abraham as the spearhead of his team going forward, he also wants Ariola from PSG to back up and during the season replace Lukasz Fabianski in goal, neither Darren Randolph nor David Martin being seen as anything other than emergency cover.

If Moyes could add a left back and a combative midfielder to augment the Rice/Soucek partnership in the centre of the park, in ADDITION to Abraham and Lingard then fans should be cock a hoop. There is no reason why this cannot be achieved, but fans are by their very nature impatient to see things happen, just remember what happened when player acquisitions were rushed through, with great headlines, during the disastrous Pellegrini/Husillos era!

The fact is everyone and their uncle know where the team needs strengthening, but few know how, Moyes does, so cut him a little slack. IF he does bring the aforementioned players in, then all the furore about not signing this player and missing out on signing that one will become an irrelevant storm in a tea cup, it's a whoppng IF though. - Ed

As they say, be careful what you wish for. - Ed

Having had their fingers burned, nay incinerated, with their signings of a catalogue of playing 'cripples', the West Ham hierarchy are obviously 'extremely concerned' with regards to future signings and to avoid similar mistakes. Now what seems a totally understandable course of action, does however have it's drawbacks.

To coin a couple of old cliches, 'once bitten, twice shy' and 'fortune favours the brave' can be applied to the club's transfer activities, Devil and the Deep blue sea, or a rock and a hard place? These terms can equally be used to describe the conundrum facing the Board and the manager ahead of the fast approaching new Barclays Premier League season.

In twelve years Danny Ings has played 298 games in all, scoring 108 goals during spells with Bournemouth, Burnley, Liverpool and Southampton, Ings also played 13 games while on loan at Dorchester Town, he went to the club in order to help regain his fitness following a lengthy spell on the side lines.

Essentially, Danny Ings seems to have spent more time injured than playing, although recently he has managed to play far more frequently. David Sullivan was quoted as saying he "wouldn't touch Ings with a bargepole" due to his injury record, Ings duly returned the 'compliment' by scoring a brace against West Ham the next time they played, it was his way of showing just how UNFIT he was!

At 28 years old, Ings still has some good miles left in the tank and will be available for a decent price as he moves into the last year of his contract at Southampton, the player has shown no sign of wanting to sign a new contract at St Mary's and the Saints are resigned to his leaving.

Has he forgiven David Sullivan? and can the club 'risk' signing another player with a dubious injury record? Hammers aren't exactly spoiled for choice when it comes to player acquisitions, especially strikers, due to the club's lack of funds. The way we see it is Hammers either have to sell their Talisman Declan Rice in order to rebuild, or the club has to tough it out for another year, which involves 'risky' signings like the proposed move for Ings.

Most fans would probably say "give us Ings over a carthorse like Haller any day of the week". It will be interesting to see how this one develops, beggars cannot be choosers, and Hammers are definitely beggars at this moment in time, Danny Ings? Yes please. - Ed