Forum | General Discussion

According to various sources, West Ham are well on their way to their first major signing of the summer as they pursue a deal that will bring 'hot property' Alex Kral to the London Stadium, in fact some reports go as far as to say that the player has already agreed personal terms with West Ham United ahead of his anticipated move from Spartak Moscow.

Of course as with any significant transfer, there is the jeopardy of other clubs hijacking the deal, or that the financial arrangements do not suit ALL parties involved. Hammers' lack of resources are an open secret, as is the club's desperate need for reinforcements.

One particular fly in the ointment is the funding issue, the club needs to somehow acquire a centre forward, a midfielder ie: Kral, a full back, a back up striker and an additional centre back as, bare minimum. Lukasz Fabianski's role as main keeper might also have to be addressed due to his increasing injuries, but NOT because of a lack of form.

West Ham are pushing hard to get the deal concluded for Kral BEFORE this summer’s Euros next month, that’s according to the Czech star’s agent Karol Kisel, who also represents Vladimir Coufal. However word has reached us that West Ham are attempting to use Andriy Yarmolenko as a make weight in the deal.

Sky Sports backed up Kisel’s claims that West Ham have made contact with him over a potential £14 Million move from Spartak, but were sparse with their details of the proposed deal. Hammers have offered 'Yarmo' as part exchange for the Czech International, and are seeking an eye watering £7 Million for his services!

Furthermore, there is the not so slight problem of moving Yarmolenko on due to his staggering £115,000 per week wages. Why would Spartak want to swap a 23 year old with an enormous future ahead of him for an ageing injury prone highly paid player? Even if Yarmo is only a small part of the package, who ever dreamt it up either needs a pat on the back, or pushing off a cliff!

Obviously West Ham have to cut their cloth according to their means during the summer window, but for once won't have to pretend they are trying to sign players that they have no realistic hope of actually signing, just in order to push up season ticket sales.

The club's actions in the transfer market, both acquisitions and releases will dictate not just next season, but the seasons beyond, it is up to the Board to work out where they really want to be. - Ed

Having shared in Brentord's joyous play off victory over Swansea, it was obvious how happy Hammer Winston Reid felt about the result. It wasn't just about the victory, it also had a lot to do with serendipity, it was playing against Swansea when Reid sustained his 'career ending' injury as a result of landing heavily on his knee after having been knocked unconscious.

Reid struggled for over two years to get anywhere near fit, a constant set of 'niggles' occured as he strove to regain his fitness, during his long rehabilitation things moved on, and when he was able to at least begin the lengthy road to match fitness there wasn't a space for him, even playing with the U-23's, a devastating situation for a proud Kiwi with Maori blood and the captain of his country.

Having been sent out on loan, first to Kansas FC and then to Brentford, Reid has been able to get some valuable game time, and while he would not be included in Barclays Premier League starting berths he could be a more than useful player to bring on from the bench.

Reid's 'cameo' appearance in the play off final showed that he has lost none of the endeavor required to perform at the highest level, there is a possibility that Brentord may wish to secure his services permanently due to his vast experience at the top level.

Any proposition from the Bees would almost certainly involve only a minor transfer fee, and it would definitely require Reid to accept a huge reduction of his current £85,000 per week wages. The New Zealander is under contract to West Ham for a further two years, so either the club cut their losses and let him move to Brentford with the Irons possibly still paying a part of his wages, or David Moyes uses him as a reliable if rarely used substitute.

In a best case scenario, Reid might be able to further enhance his fitness and get some game time, and then come January, with over 18 months still remaining on his contract, be an attractive acquisition for some club and be sold for a reasonable fee.

Just sending Reid out on loan again with Hammers still paying 80% of his £85,000 per week wages is fiscally ridiculous, and David Moyes has probably already made the same call, otherwise why would he have not renewed Fabian Balbuena's contract?

The way we see it, the club is stuck with Reid, so it might as well make the best out of a poor situation and utilise a player who, don't forget, wrote himself into Hammers folklore by scoring the last ever goal at the Boleyn in the closing minutes of the memorable 3-2 victory over Manchester United, who knows, he might just pop up with another era evoking contribution during Hammers 'Eurovision', mightn't he? - Ed

Last year, thousands of West Ham fans were protesting outside the London Stadium. The main targets were owners David Gold and David Sullivan but many supporters were also disgruntled at the re-hiring of David Moyes as manager. West Ham went into the 2020/21 campaign being tipped for a relegation battle having finished 16th the previous season. It was no surprise that some pundits were even predicting they’d be relegated back to the Championship.

However, how wrong they were. The Irons were the surprise package of the season and Moyes guided the club to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League table. A stunning achievement, made even more so by the fact they finished just two points off the top four. At one stage West Ham fans were dreaming of Champions League football but they had to settle for the Europa League next season.

To finish above the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, Everton and Wolves is a truly wonderful achievement by Moyes and he perhaps hasn’t been given the recognition he deserves. Pep Guardiola won the LMA Manager of the Season after guiding Man City to the title. But I’d argue that Moyes’ achievement of taking West Ham from 16th to 6th, against all the odds, is far more impressive.

The key now for Moyes is to try and replicate this season’s form next year and make West Ham a regular contender for the European places. Currently, West Ham are the 12/1 eighth favourites to finish in the top four next season. You can check the latest odds using this site link but I wouldn’t be rushing to place any hefty bets just yet.

This summer is going to be pivotal if Moyes wants to take Hammers to the next level. Finishing 6th is great but West Ham now have to deal with European football next season and we’ve seen similar sides struggle in the past trying to juggle domestic and European commitments. Moyes is going to need a much bigger squad to cope with the extras games next year or West Ham are going to feel the effect in the Premier League.

Will the owners back Moyes?

Will Gold and Sullivan back their manager with a sizeable transfer kitty in the summer market? Only time will tell, but if not then I fear the Hammers may be back battling in the bottom half of the table next season. Playing Thursday – Sunday every week will take its toll
on a small squad so it’s vital Moyes is able to bring in reinforcements this summer. He obviously has the basis of a quality squad and West Ham fans will be praying they can take this opportunity to push on and make the club a force again nearer the top half of the table rather than worrying about relegation every year.

The concern will be that the clubs owners may look to cash-in on one or two star players to help raise transfer funds. Declan Rice is the obvious candidate as he’s being linked with a move to Man Utd or Chelsea and West Ham may feel it’s time to sell if an offer worth over
£70m arrives. Moyes could bring in 3-4 quality players with that kind of money. It may make sense from a business perspective. Gold & Sullivan would rather sell Rice than find the £70m themselves for new signings. West Ham’s squad may even be stronger overall, but fans would be gutted to see Rice leave this summer.

It’s certainly going to be an interesting few months and it will be fascinating to see how Moyes does next season after such a sensational 2020/21 campaign. Can he replicate that success next season? We’ll have to wait and see…