West Ham have enjoyed a relatively busy and pragmatic summer so far.
With additions like Kyle Walker-Peters, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Callum Wilson, and Mads Hermansen, the squad is being strengthened across the pitch, and more recruits are expected before the window closes.
Yet while the Hammers have been busy, they haven’t exactly been splashing the cash.
Walker-Peters and Wilson arrived on free transfers, while Diouf and Hermansen cost just shy of £20 million each — a bargain in today’s market. The club also paid a large chunk of the £34.2 million required to make Jean-Clair Todibo’s loan from Nice permanent. In an era of astronomical transfer fees, West Ham have taken a measured, intelligent approach.
And speaking about that pragmatic approach in a recent interview with BBC Sport, Graham Potter couldn’t resist taking a cheeky swipe at his former club Chelsea — where, as everyone knows, the philosophy was very much the opposite.
Potter Takes Swipe at Chelsea
Before joining West Ham in January 2025, Potter spent an ill-fated seven months at Chelsea as manager between September 2022 and April 2023.
In the transfer window just before Potter arrived, Chelsea signed 10 players and either sold or loaned out 15. In January 2023, the Blues then spent over £280 million on another seven players – including Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Noni Madueke – and brought in Joao Felix on loan, too.
Unsurprisingly, Potter found it difficult to implement the plans he wanted, and he was sacked after just seven months in charge.
Reflecting on those experiences while discussing West Ham’s summer, Potter said: “I’ve experienced what £300 million can do. It’s not always positive. You just deal with what you have, work with the people in the club and represent it the best way, by staying as close to the person I am as I can.”
He added: “I don’t think we needed drastic change. It’s tempting to think that the solution is going to be external but, from my perspective, the focus should always be on the players you have – with an eye on improving.”
West Ham’s summer shows that Potter isn’t here to play the Chelsea cash game — he’s building a team the smart way. No £300 million blowouts, no panic buys. Just bargains, brains, and a touch of cheekiness when recalling his old Stamford Bridge nightmare.
