DURING THE SUMMER, IT BECAME CLEAR THE HAMMERS NEEDED TO SELL BEFORE THEY COULD BUY – WITH LUCAS PAQUETA LINKED TO LATE MOVES TO BOTH TOTTENHAM AND ASTON VILLA.
THE CLUB MANAGED TO KEEP HOLD OF HIM, BUT THEIR CAMPAIGN HAS SINCE UNRAVELLED. GRAHAM POTTER HAS BEEN SACKED, AND NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO IS NOW TASKED WITH LEADING A REBUILD.
THE 2-0 HOME DEFEAT TO BRENTFORD ON MONDAY UNDERLINED JUST HOW MUCH WORK REMAINS TO BE DONE. WEST HAM SIT SECOND BOTTOM OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE, WITH NUNO PICKING UP ONLY ONE POINT FROM HIS FIRST THREE GAMES IN CHARGE. WEST HAM ARE ALREADY PLANNING FOR REINFORCEMENTS IN JANUARY, AND TEAMTALK UNDERSTANDS THE CLUB WILL PRIORITISE SIGNING A FORWARD WHEN THE TRANSFER WINDOW REOPENS.
OTHER AREAS OF THE SQUAD COULD ALSO BE STRENGTHENED, BUT FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS ARE LIKELY TO MAKE THAT DIFFICULT. FANS WILL BE RELIEVED TO LEARN, HOWEVER, THAT THE CLUB ARE NOT WILLING TO SELL KEY PLAYERS TO FUND ANY REBUILD.
JARROD BOWEN, WIDELY REGARDED AS WEST HAM’S MOST VALUABLE ASSET, HAS HISTORIC INTEREST FROM LIVERPOOL – BUT THERE IS NO INDICATION THE HAMMERS WILL ENTERTAIN OFFERS FROM ANYONE SOON. SIMILARLY, PAQUETA REMAINS COMMITTED TO THE CLUB FOR NOW AND THERE IS NO APPETITE TO SPARK AN AUCTION FOR HIS SIGNATURE TO RAISE FUNDS.
BOWEN AND PAQUETA ARE CONTRACTED TO THE LONDON STADIUM UNTIL 2030 AND 2027 RESPECTIVELY, AND THE HAMMERS HAVE AN OPTION TO EXTEND PAQUETA’S DEAL BY A FURTHER YEAR.
THIS PUTS NUNO IN A STRONG POSITION TO RETAIN BOTH PLAYERS. THE MANAGER’S FOCUS, FOR NOW, WILL BE ON TURNING THE CLUB’S FORM AROUND FOLLOWING THEIR DEFEAT TO THE BEES.
WEST HAM MOVE FOR MAN UTD ACE GATHERING PACE
WE EXCLUSIVELY REVEALED ON OCTOBER 5 THAT JOSHUA ZIRKZEE, 24, IS AMONG THE EARLY NAMES UNDER CONSIDERATION AS A POTENTIAL LOAN TARGET.
HOWEVER, IF THE RIGHT VALUE CAN BE FOUND, WE CAN REVEAL THAT A PERMANENT MOVE FOR THE MANCHESTER UNITED MAN IS POSSIBLE.
TEAMTALK UNDERSTANDS THAT ANY SIGNING FOR WEST HAM WOULD BE EXPECTED TO BE A STRIKER IN THEIR EARLY 20S, SO ZIRKZEE FITS THE PROFILE. THE DUTCHMAN HAS FALLEN DOWN RUBEN AMORIM’S PECKING ORDER AND IS YET TO START A PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH THIS TERM.
AN OLD TRAFFORD EXIT COULD THEREFORE BE THE BEST THING FOR ZIRKZEE’S CAREER AND THE HAMMERS ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON THE SITUATION, ALONG WITH OTHER SIDES.
WEST HAM FACE LEEDS UNITED, NEWCASTLE, AND BURNLEY NEXT – AND THOSE THREE GAMES COULD BE KEY TO TURNING THINGS AROUND.
“NOT GOOD ENOUGH. POOR,” WAS NUNO’S BLUNT ASSESSMENT ON MONDAY NIGHT. “FAIRLY, BRENTFORD WON THE GAME, THEY WERE THE BETTER TEAM.
“I THINK WE ARE ALL CONCERNED. YOU CAN SEE OUR OWN FANS ARE CONCERNED. CONCERN BECOMES ANXIETY, BECOMES SILENCE. WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
“IT’S UNDERSTANDABLE. IT’S UP TO US TO CHANGE. THE FANS NEED TO SEE SOMETHING THAT PLEASES THEM AND THEY CAN SUPPORT US AND GIVE US ENERGY.”
