Forum | Non-Football Related

'Apparently' West Ham United's pursuit of striker Joshua King from relegated Bournemouth has hit the buffers as a result of the player's wage demands, on closer examination the Noregian International's demands seem little different to the 'going rate' for experienced Barclays Premier League strikers. The player who has entered the last year of his contract was nearly sold to Manchester United in the January window for a fee of around £20 Million, that figure has now reduced drastically as he will have the option to leave for free in less than nine months and is allowed to negotiate pre-contracts as soon as the 'winter window' opens in January.

So, top player available at a knock down price, what's the problem? King's contract with the Cherries is for £45,000 per week, a figure he wishes to double before countenancing a move to the London Stadium,that figure is too rich for the Irons hierarchy, the same 'people' who authorised £100,000 per week for Jack Wilshere and a whopping £115,000 per week for the near perpetually injured Andrily Yarmolenko. While £90,000 per week seems a bit strong, especially given the current fiscal plight being endured by all clubs great and small, it is considerably less than the other wages handed out by the board, and of course we keep banging on about the folly of paying 80% of Winston Reid's wages just to 'rehabilitate' him in warmer climes!

Weary sceptical Irons fans will see the news about the problems in finalising a deal for King as nothing unusual, in fact the general consensus is that this attempted acquisition is just one of a whole stack of 'failed' moves, and that any serious interest 'apparently' shown was just to appease fans and to ensure that the fan base left it's funding with the club instead of demanding season ticket rebates.

It that was the owners plan, it has fallen flat on it's face, as many other of their 'exotic' fantasies have done in the past, should Irons pay 'King's Ransom'? You betcha, will they? Very much doubt it! -Ed

David Moyes' Championship shopping list is concise but acute, ideally he would like to bring in "a couple of players", sooner rather than later, obtaining precious training time with his new players is paramount, unfortunately, as is common with Barclays Premier League deals, brinkmanship rears it's ugly head.

Many Hammers fans are mindful of how many players have chosen NOT to come to the London Stadium, admittedly a great deal of players' reticence was caused by the prospect of being in a relegation dog fight, that element has dissipated somewhat as a result of the crushing victories over 'High Flying' Wolves and Leicester City.

Shopping in the 'bargain basement' can reap rewards, as has been seen by the purchase of Jarrod Bowen, however West Ham United are not alone as they seek bargains, most other Barclays Premier League teams are doing exactly the same, consequently some potential acquisitions will be priced out of a move by other clubs 'swooping' in and grabbing them. One such player is Swansea City's Joe Rodon, Hammers had expressed serious interest in the 22 year old centre back, however Jose Mourinho is also interested and would use the possibility of playing alongside Gareth Bale as an incentive.

Tottenham's's initial bid is for less than half of Swansea's valuation, so there is still a chance of Roden joining David Moyes' team, but there is also the chance of Tottenham starting a bidding war which will not suit the Irons, especially if the North London outfit push the price right up and then relent at the last minute meaning West Ham will have paid over the odds.

Minful of the potential pit falls regarding Rodon, it appears Moyes has retained his interest in Wales based players by making enquiries fro not one but two club captains! Cardiff City's 29 year old captain Sean Joseph Morrison is a decent centre back, he was particularly highly valued by Neil Warnock who was Cardiff's manager at the time of previous enquiries about the player's availability, he has a good injury record, and in that respect represents a far better option than the recently released Jack Wilshire.

Swansea City's 24 year old captain Matt Grimes is another of Moyes central midfield targets, the Welsh club are reluctant to part with their prized assests but like all other clubs in the Championship are having to make hard decisions to offset the loss of income due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In these current times a 'buy one get free' visit to Wales might just happen, if Hammers fans think their club is cash strapped they should look at what is happening in the lower leagues.

Although Moyes' transfer kitty is small,it is vast compared to other 'struggling' teams, and spent wisely the money received from selling Grady Diangana, all of which the co-owners 'promised' would be made available for incoming transfers, could yield unanticipated benefits, with some clubs perhaps being to 'sniffy' about buying players from the lower leagues. West Ham are just one of several clubs forced to realign their forward planning, but cutting your cloth according to your means is a good start to what fans hope will be a sustainable campaign. - Ed

Fue divertido mientras duró, In other words, it was fun while it lasted, but now is time for West Ham fans, particularly the females, to say goodbye to Felipe Anderson with his good looks, disarming smile and short shorts. The grim reality is that for whatever reason, Anderson arrived, shone, and then burned, his stock having fallen to such an extent that no one wanted to buy him, and a loan arrangement with FC Porto was the only deal on the table.

In his first season Anderson was fantastic, his skills thrilled the Hammers faithful and it seemed only a matter of time before the club would rocket up the League, unfortunately 'second season syndrome' kicked in and the Brazilain went backwards, his incisive rune began terminating once he had run in to brick walls, whereas when he first arrived he always made opitions for himself, sadly options that he stopped seeing.

Whether it was because he was included in the Brazilian National squad after his first season at the London Stadium is a matter of debate, whatever the reason, he went from being a valued £36 Million player to a periphery once David Moyes returned as the 'emergency' replacement for Pellegrini. Moyes elected NOT to use Anderson, questioning the player's desire and commitment, the pattern continued during the season's restart and has continued in to the new season.

Moyes clearly doesn't 'fancy' Anderson, so moving him and his not inconsiderable wages off the club's books makes sense, many though will feel it is a pity that Felipe has to go, referencing the vast amount of money 'splurged out' on Jack 'Wheel chair' among others.

Unfortunately there isn't currently space in the team for additional flair players, they are a luxury that Hammers cannot afford if they are to avoid another messy relegation scrap, perhaps next season, having hopefully achieved a mid-table finish, the club might be able to push on, of course there might be new owners in place by then, we can but hope!- Ed