It has been an interesting window for West Ham so far, with many stunned at what their strategy is when it comes to strengthening the side. This is considering how much they have generated this window. The club has generated a total of £134.63m from departures, one of these being their best player, Declan Rice, who was sold to Arsenal for a total of £105 m.
Reports have been circulating that Manchester City is now interested in Lucas Paquetá. Verbal talks have started and £70 million is deemed not enough by West Ham. so we can expect if this transfer is to go through it will be in the region of around £80 million – £100 million. Pep Guardiola wants to strengthen the midfield and has always admired the player, and with City being interested in the player, Paquetá is likely to seek a move away.
West Ham could lose Rice, Scamacca and Paqueta in the same transfer window! 😬#Paqueta #WestHam #WHUFC #ManCity pic.twitter.com/rvhnnw5OcM
— DR Sports (@drsportsmedia) August 9, 2023
This window, West Ham would have lost both Declan Rice, Scamacca, and potentially Paquetá, which were easily their best players throughout their respective time at the club. With that being said, it is crucial that they strengthen their team accordingly. Otherwise we could see them struggle throughout next season, and so far their transfer moves have not looked convincing.
Who is West Ham interested in?
With the money generated for departures, West Ham’s name has been dipped into a couple of rumors when it comes to interest in players. These have been the likes of Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Folarin Balogun, and Edson Álvarez. Questions are being asked whether the potential signings are going to have the same impact as the departures on the club, and whether they are the right fit for the side.
West Ham United’s increasingly desperate search for new signings has led the club to advertise for seven squad positions on the website TransferRoom.#WHUFC | #PL
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— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) August 4, 2023
It has been a very questionable approach to how they have gone about their business this window. Despite having made a good amount of money from sales, they are not doing anything with it. They were even advertising for positions on a website called TransferRoom, which raises the concern levels for fans seeing how everything is being dealt with.
Harry Maguire has been reported to be joining the Hammers for a fee of £30 million. It is a step in the right direction to ensure they don’t collapse after a good season for the side, winning the Europa Conference League and finishing 14th in the league. It is something that can be built on, and adding players to the squad is guaranteed to do just that.
Could West Ham cave into a panic buy?
The season starts very soon, and the transfer window closes on 1 September. So, time is running out to ensure the squad is ready for the next campaign. In negotiations, clubs are going to demand higher fees from West Ham, knowing their money situation and how they are desperate to sign players. This could see the board purchasing players that are not necessarily a good fit for the squad, to show the fans that there is ambition at the club.
As time progresses closer to the deadline, you can expect them to start showing interest in a lot of players, throwing offers on the table when and where they can. Panic buys are nothing new, as we have seen it happen many times in the past. So these times are crucial for the future of the success of the side in upcoming seasons. If the money is spent in the wrong areas on the wrong players, this could see a bad situation at the club. Thus, it will be very interesting to keep an eye on it.