Five realistic summer transfers West Ham could spend £40m on
With seven games to go in the Premier league and the move to the Olympic Stadium almost upon us, the platform is almost set for the club to attract some useful additions.
In my previous article I discussed my top five AMBITIOUS transfers.
Define: AMBITIOUS…
To be ambitious in the transfer market you need to have a hell of a lot more money than our rumoured £30-40m budget this summer! We just can’t afford to put all our eggs in one basket again.
Yes, we could spend it all on one player, but with at least five first team players leaving in the summer, does one star signing put an even bigger impression on the Premier League and put up a good fight in Europe? We still have four positions to fill.
Let’s break it down; I feel we are two players short of having a perfect squad and the positions that worry me are right back and striker.
With Havard Nordveit supposedly signing a pre-contract agreement on a Bosman, this looks like the end of Song’s average and overpriced West Ham career, while Moses and Emenike’s loan deals won’t be renewed.
Antonio Martinez is also set to sign for the club in a £1m+ deal from Valencia, but I feel this transfer is one that will see the young Spaniard progressing in the Development Squad next season, and perhaps making the odd appearance in domestic cup competitions.
I feel Valencia’s time with West Ham is coming to an end and maybe a transfer to France or even a return to Mexico could be on the cards.
I also slightly feel Pedro Obiang could be offloaded for a profit. Obiang has been a very good player this year when needed, but fuelled speculation by his agent highlighting his unhappiness at being a squad player rather than a starter could pave the way for Pedro to leave in the summer.
So I’ve tallied up three players most certainly leaving, two players possibly on their way out due being unsatisfactory and my personal opinion of two squad players – that’s seven players out of a squad.
With Nordveit (a starter in my eyes) and Martinez (a squad/development player) set to wear the claret and blue in our maiden season at the Olympic Stadium, this leaves the club with five players to replace, which will cost the majority of Bilic’s budget. Spending all of our budget on one player seems quite daunting with four positions still to fill – do you really fancy getting mediocre loan deals to not compete for places in the squa? I certainly don’t!
So how do you spend £40m sensibly? Here are my top five realistic transfer targets this summer..
CARL JENKINSON
Now, please read all of this before you make a judgement on this target.
Jenkinson had an absolute blinding debut season at Upton Park, which almost made him sign on a full time basis – but then Arsenal put a £10m price tag on his head… then gave him a NEW £40k-a-week contract.
Due to the limitations on the budget, West Ham had to renegotiate another loan deal which cost £2.5m plus his double wages. The season looked bright for him after being England’s most outstanding player in a failed U21 tournament in that summer, which featured Ings, Kane, Stones and Butland in the squad.
Then Bournemouth at home happened – a demoralising display capped off with conceding a penalty and a straight red card signaled a tough season ahead for Jenks. His head must have been everywhere – playing well under Big Sam, Arsenal rewarding his performances, rough start under Bilic, being mugged off by Noble in a feigned injury in our win at Man City, scoring two vital goals and then picking up a season ending injury in a tackle that gave away a penalty.
However, this doesn’t put me off signing Jenkinson on a full time basis. With his value between a realistic £4.5-£6m I think it’s a deal we should seriously consider. He is still only 24-years-old and came through the Arsenal academy, he has two seasons experience at West Ham, has Premier League experience at the highest level and, most importantly, has Champions League experience.
I personally think Jenkinson is a ‘right sided Aaron Cresswell’ and he fits into our system well by having advanced full-backs linking up with Lanzini and Payet to create chances in the box.
I’d be willing to snap him up with no hesitation, and it would be great to have Byram and Jenkinson both competing for the right back slot and letting James Tomkins focus on challenging for a starting place at centre-back.
FILIP KOSTIC
Kostic Serbian left sided assassin, who currently plays for Stuttgart in the German Bundesliga.
Dutch side Groningen are no stranger to finding talent as their scouting staff have proven with Luis Suarez in the past, Kostic was ever present in the green and white and his performances secured a deal in Germany.
The left footed 23-year-old is valued at £6m and can play left, right, or even in the middle, which could fit in well with Lanzini and Payet in what could be a formidable rotating attacking midfield three.
With over 3,500 mins for Stuttgart, he has scored eight goals and assisted 13. He loves a dribble a long range shot – £6m is a good deal.
WISSAM BEN YEDDER
The 25-year-old scoring sensation at Toulouse has attracted some attention from the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool with his performances in Ligue 1 recently.
This season he has notched 18 goals in all competitions for a team who are currently 2nd from bottom in the league.
You have to wonder how much more impact his goals can add to our position in the league. If he is consistently scoring for a relegation threatened side, he can surely do it for a top eight Premier League club.
In the past there have been similar players in Ligue 1 that were at a struggling team and being their only goal scoring outlet. Look at St. Etienne in 2011-13 – they had a striker who netted 29 goals in 54 appearances, and he later secured a move to a top top side… his name is Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.
Ben Yedder is worth a cool £6m and would be an ideal upgrade on Emenike as he can play as a main or secondary striker.
WILL HUGHES
How on earth has this guy not been signed by a Premier League club I do not know!
The Derby County player has been an important figures in the Rams’ progression in the Championship. I feel he could fit in well at West Ham, being a distribution king and competiting with Noble in the heart of the midfield.
Hughes is just 20-years-old and valued at £5.25m – he is the most promising player in the Football League and can make the step up – understandably it would take a bit of time, but with patience and under Bilic’s arm he can be quite an asset in years to come.
This season he suffered a ligament injury, which has side-lined him for the majority of the campaign – he has only played 33 minutes of football – but after recently featuring in a development match for Derby, there’s still time for Hughes to make a few decent performances in the league.
Everton have been linked with Hughes in the past and he is no stranger to the international team at U21 level. Keep an eye out on this lad in the next few weeks as he is joy to watch.
VINCENT ABOUBAKAR
If you thought Mohamed Diame was a ‘tank’ years ago then look this guy up!
The Cameroonian powerhouse is bagging goals and offering assists for FC Porto this season. Welcomed to Europe by FC Valenciennes and later signed on a free by FC Lorient, he proved his talent by scoring 17 goals in his debut season, not a bad return for a free signing!
His performances caught the eye of Porto and they signed him in a deal a year later for £2.25m. He is now valued at just under £8m and currently has 20 goals and four assists in all competitions this term.
Averaging a goal every 170 minutes, he is as deadly as our very own Diafra Sakho. The 24-year-old could be a fans favourite at the club. His build, pace, and technique will make him a very tough opponent for any defender in the league.
______
There you go, I’ve spent wisely and I’m sure that these players would make a very good impact for the Hammers in the league and in Europe – something we intend to be in for more than one season.
Keep the faith and let me know your thoughts in the comments section below…