Forum | Non-Football Related

Hindsight being the wonderful thing that it is has shown that West Ham would have fared far better in their sale of Marko Arnautovic had it been completed in January as opposed to now, however there are several points that need to be looked at, primarily the financing of the deal to sell Arnautovic and the finances that were available at the time to push through the purchase of main target Maxi Gomez from Celta Vigo.

It should also be remembered that Celta Vigo were unwilling to sell their star player while they were in the middle of a relegation battle, had they done so they would have insisted on the player's exit clause being PAID IN FULL, not only were they insistent on the £43.5 Million release clause being met but also that it would be paid in one lump, not instalments!

The next element to consider was the January bid made for Arnautovic wasn't the reported £35 Million, but £28-30 Million depending on the Euro to Pound transfer rates at the time, leaving a deficit of £15.5 Million to make up. This figure was not achievable under FFP due to the massive £95 Million the club had already spent last summer, now it is a new financial year moves can now be made, although it would not be good business practice to actually pay for all of Gomez's transfer up front Hammers are prepared to go the distance if they have to.

The impending departure of Javier Hernandez will also release the funds to bring in two back up strikers, now if only someone was stupid enough to buy Jordan Hugill it would be happy days at the London Stadium. - Ed

When Marko Arnautovic signed a contract extension in January which included a £20,000 per week pay rise, he said: "The fans gave me the power, they gave me the energy, that's why I have to be here and that's why I want to stay." Et tu Brute?

While the Sulk is now just about off for his Chinese take away, medical withstanding, Hammers are quickly moving to resolve the protracted will he or won't he Maxi Gomez transfer saga. Most observers assumed the delays, apart from Gomez's participation in the Copa America, were due to the financial arrangements between Celta Vigo, West Ham and the Uruguayan's other main suitor Valencia.

It is true that Celta Vigo had accepted terms with Valencia which involved THREE players moving in the opposite direction as part of the deal, it is rumoured that the three players were scheduled for their fitness tests, but the appointments were cancelled at the eleventh hour. The offer from West Ham is of course a straight cash offer, but to be paid over an as yet undetermined period of time, probably three years.

In reality Celta Vigo will not initially benefit that much by dealing with West Ham, unless they hold out for Gomez's full release clause which is £45 Million, they would even then only receive £15 Million up front, just a tad more than they were offered by Valencia. The three player as make weights were seen to be crucial in order for Valencia to get their man, however it now transpires that Gomez himself has chosen West Ham over Valencia for one simple reason, and it's not the money!

22 Year old Gomez had sought assurances that if he came to the London Stadium he would not be playing second fiddle to Marko Arnautovic and would be in the in the starting line up, well Arnie and Danny have inadvertently helped resolve that issue leaving the route clear for Gomez to arrive with the number one status he so desires. Manuel Pelegrini will indulge the youngster so long as he is finding the back of the net, and is probably looking forward to seeing his main striker smiling instead of grimacing all of the time.

Gomez is pricey, but like his future team mates, Fornals, Rice, Diop and Anderson, is young with a phenomenal sell on value that will only increase in time. The management will recognise that a back up striker will also be required, given the exits of Any Carroll and Lucas Perez, and the potential exit of Javier Hernandez. The strategy might seem a little risky, but the only way Hammers can break in to the top six is by taking risks, after all wasn't the reason for leaving the Boleyn given as being necessary in order to take the club to that higher level? - Ed

You would think having a brand new state of the art stadium, champion's league football and a much sought after manager would be good enough for Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy, however his 'need for speed' continues to encompass his large energy wastage on trying to 'muck' things up for 'rivals' West Ham United at every opportunity.

Levy's unhealthy dislike of West Ham would appear to have been caused by his inability to win the London Stadium tenancy rights in favour of West Ham, but the bad blood runs much deeper than that. Which comes as a bit of a surprise bearing in mind how much Tottenham have fleeced the Hammers over player transfers in the last fifteen years! The deals for Jermaine Defoe and Michael Carrick being particularly galling to every one of a claret and blue persuasion, so why has Levy still got his London neighbours in the cross hair?

Quite simply Mr Levy is what we used to call a 'spoiler' at school, not content to have the newest kit, he would be the type of kid who would grab his brand new football and go home if things weren't going his way in the local kick about. The root is probably due to the numerous occasions that West Ham have dealt a terminal blow to Tottenham's aspirations, whether it be the Premier League or European competition, the "it's happened again song" must ring in his ears like a severe attack of tinnitus!

The irony being, each time Levy gets involved in a bit of skull duggery, he generates the 'energy' for Hammers players to play out of their skins, the more he does, the better they play! Levy's supposed interest in Maxi Gomez is a classic case, Spurs will be 'interested' just enough to bump the price up, at which point they will look elsewhere, and anyone who thinks this article is wide of the mark should ask themselves 'why would Gomez want to come and play third fiddle behind Kane and Song?

Spurs might be interested in the Gomez deal, but only to put a spanner in the works! - Ed