Forum | General Discussion

Hammers manager Manuel Pellgrini was forthright in his opinion when asked whether Declan Rice would be at the club when next season begins, he was quoted as saying that if a really substantial offer came in for the young West Ham star it would be his duty to put the terms to the club's hierarchy for consideration. Obviously the backlash from such a deal would be massive, but if the major rebuilding programme is to continue, serious funds need to be generated, and that isn't just a case of the chairmen dipping in to their pockets, FFP saw to that (probably much to their relief).

So news that the club have stepped up their hunt for a new centre-back, according to Mundo Deportivo, and have made an €11.5m (roughly £10 Million) bid for Deportivo Alaves defender Guillermo Maripan is a little worrying. As usual West Ham’s initial bid fell well short of Maripan’s €23m (just over £20m) release clause, but Alaves are in financial meltdown and are said to be seriously considering this low ball offer which could see West Ham getting the player for a bargain £10 Million. Maripan apparently wants to move to the Premier League so this transfer will appeal to him, especially as he is Chilean and will have the chance to link up with a fellow countryman as manager.

Hammers are also rumoured to be very close to signing 20 year old french striker AlexisClaude-Maurice, but the likes of Lille, Lyon, Monaco, PSG and RB Leipzig are also said to be interested in him, as are Arsenal. With other high profile targets linked tom the club where is the money going to come from? It is to be hoped, not from the sale of Hammers 'jewel in the crown' Declan Rice, but if push comes to shove what wil happen? - Ed

West Ham United have officially confirmed the departures of Andy Carroll, Adrian San Miguel and Samir Nasri, they join midfielders Moses Makasi and Noha Sylvestre and defenders Vashon Neufville and Josh Pask who will also depart, as will scholars Mason Barrett, Kevin Dalipi, Jay Mingi and Odysseas Spyridis.

Many fans will breathe a sigh of relief that the club have not exercised their option to extend Andy Carroll's contract, perhaps he will go on to greater things and suddenly become fit as a butcher's dog firing goals in from all over the Park, then again he could continue as he left off, albeit on vastly reduced money, by getting injured either during pre-season or just before the season starts.

With Carroll it was always what might have been, whereas with Adrian the case is slightly different, what he lacked in ability he made up with passion and many, many fans will be sorry to see him go. Adrian deserves first team football, but realistically was never going to play instead of Lukas Fabianski who made the position his own with his Hammer of the year performances.

Nasri was an interesting experiment, he probably would have been retained as the club had the option, but the shadows of Andy Carroll's and more recently Jack Wilshere's persistent injury struggles put paid to that. It seems that the club have finally realised that all that glisters is not gold! Great things were expected from Moses Makasi, Vashon Neufville and Josh Pask as well as Noha Sylvestre and scholars Mason Barrett, Kevin Dalipi, Jay Mingi and Odysseas Spyridis. Unfortunately they didn't make the grade, this can be viewed in two ways, either the quality of the youth programme is really poor, or that levels of expectation have gone through the roof since the arrival of Manuel Pellegrini and head of recruitment Mario Hussilos.

Having 'cut loose' half a dozen players it will be interesting to see who they are replaced by, they surely would not have been released had better options not existed. - Ed

Perhaps a little more attention to impending rule changes might help fans understand West Ham United's transfer activity, or the lack of it. Manuel Pellegrini has told Sky Sports he has a dilemma over satisfying the homegrown player quota which could shape his transfer plans. “You must be calm and try to choose your best option because if you make a mistake in the squad in this season you are going to pay in the whole year,” Pellegrini told Sky Sports.“You can have just 17 foreign players, we must have eight English players, we will see which of them can go, which options we have to come.”

Homegrown player rule explained
To be ‘homegrown’ a player must be registered with an English team for three years before the age of 21. Hammers fans will be hoping that doesn’t mean the likes of Sam Byram and Jordan Hugill are kept on just for the sake of hitting the homegrown player quota. One player who does fill one of those spaces is Andy Carroll and he looks set to leave. Another is Aaron Cresswell who is also reportedly being considered for sale. If Cresswell is sold then West Ham are left with just seven players fitting the homegrown criteria.

So future player purchases will be affected sooner rather than later, realistically it should be noted there has been little talk from either Manuel Pellegrini nor Mario Husillos about the potential signing of either Maxi Gomez from Celta Vigo or Andre Gomes from Barcelona. One outcome that is guaranteed is that there is no way both of the players could conceivably arrive at the London Stadium, the reported meagre £30 Million net kitty cannot stretch to that, even if you include some very clever accounting like most of the 'top' clubs do.

West Ham United have also reportedly had a bid for Lorient attacker Alexis Claude-Maurice turned down, it is unlikely Hammers will return with another offer. Until Pellegrini and Husillos can offload a whole heap of inherited dross, the signing of players like Maxi Gomez are for now just a pipe dream, paradoxically a wholesale clear out might be a breath of fresh, air but it might also leave the club's squad dangerously exposed to a potential crisis if players pick up injuries on a par with the season that has just finished. - Ed