By the time you have finished reading this article, I predict at least three ‘big name’ players will be linked with a summer move to West Ham United to join Slaven and co. as they embark on this exciting new era for the club.
I make this prediction as, like many others, I am getting extremely frustrated with this marquee-signing melee we have gotten ourselves into.
Before I continue, don’t get me wrong, I would love to see a world class, 20+ goal-a-season striker at the club. But this is the reality…
Batshuayi. No. Lacazette. No. Bacca. (Nearly no).
Despite these rejections, we have still made a number of impressive signings that have relatively gone under the radar so far. Sofiane Feghouli and Havard Nordtveit particularly are exciting additions in my eyes.
With so much change going on at the club, namely with the stadium and signings, it is simple to forget the resurgence of the ‘academy of football’. The trio of Reece Oxford, Reece Burke and Josh Cullen have all shown in the past 18 months that they have a promising future in the game.
Oxford continues to grab the attention of the major clubs with Manchester City the latest club expressing an interest in the towering 17-year-old, and he may well go.
I sincerely hope he doesn’t depart but the degree of interest suggests he will leave in the very near future.
However, the ‘Bradford Boys’ Burke and Cullen both earned rave reviews from their respective loan spells at Valley Parade last term and both have shown early signs in pre-season that they are ready for the next stage of their careers.
After all, not so long ago our hopes from the academy harboured on Elliot Lee and Elliot Lee only.
The marquee signing may well still come but I urge fans to not panic if it doesn’t happen. Instead, admire the team we have and the way in which this squad is building for the undoubtedly exciting chapters ahead.
Tagging these two alongside the signings of the attacking trident of Ashley Fletcher, Domingos Quina and Toni Martinez, the future is looking very bright once more.
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