Lord Help Us-Llorente Looms

Inevitably given the circumstances regarding the public knowledge of West Ham United's 'transfer traumas', speculation regarding possible 'acquisitions' will begin with the words free transfer or ageing player or both! There are plenty of 'has beens' queuing up for a final pay day at the club that 'loves to give', the most recent 'dinosaur' to be 'linked' to the club is the 35 year old ex-Tottenham striker Fernando Llorente.

West Ham United have apparently been in contact with Napoli, Fernando Llorente's current club, over a move to the London Stadium this summer. That’s according to Il Mattino, who back up claims that the Hammers are looking at the veteran striker as an option to improve their front line. West Ham’s interest first appeared yesterday, with journalist Ciro Venerato reporting that both the Hammers and Everton were ‘on the forward’s trail’. Il Mattino now back that up, at least in West Ham’s case, stating the Spaniard is ‘in contact’ with David Moyes’ side about a move.

Details are very sketchy at the moment, so any potential move is in the very early stages at this point, there’s no mention of Napoli’s stance so far, but given they’ve just signed Victor Osimhen and managed to keep Dries Mertens Llorente is now not needed. In fact, Napoli need to move players on this summer and getting rid of an ageing striker in the final year of his deal would probably represent good business, but any type of transfer fee for a 35 year old unless just a token is questionable? How keen West Ham are to sign Llorente isn’t clear, but Moyes definitely has to add at least one more striker to his forward line which is essentially Sebastien Haller, Michail Antonio and Xande Silva and that's all, however Llorente is about as far away from Moyes' 'young and hungry' template as is humanly possible.

Worryingly for Hammers fans is the fact that there IS interest in bringing the veteran striker to the London Stadium, you can bet your bottom dollar that Llorente is a Sugo target rather than one of David Moyes', but this is the grim reality of what is actually going on at the club. Even a blind person could see that the James Tarkowski stories are merely that, stories, there is no way in hell or high water that the club can even afford half of Burnley's asking price, and it should be remembered that Burnley, like most of the other Barclays Premier League clubs, do not need to sell and hence can ask what they want for a 'valued' player, and even if by some freak chance the money to meet their asking price did become available (a) wouldn't the funds be better used to shore up a dreadful defence? and (b) Why on earth would Tarkowski want to come to a club that is in such a toxic state?

It is hard not to be on a downer about West Ham at the moment, and unfortunately it looks as if things are going to get a whole lot worse before they can get better, as it stands there is no light at the end of the tunnel, least ways not until there is some serious board room restructuring and manoeuvring. Signing 35 year old has beens wasn't exactly the missive sent out ahead of the move from the Boleyn Ground was it? - Ed