Greg . 1 day ago

OPINION: West Ham's transfer activity exposes the club's lack of ambition

Ahead of the new Premier League season, Graham Potter's apparent willingness to lower the age of West Ham's squad - the second oldest in the English top-flight - appears to have been nothing more than a hollow promise.

It's true that the Hammers have signed 20-year-old El Hadji Malick Diouf this summer, and by all accounts, he has motivated teammates, club staff and supporters with his application in pre-season.

West Ham's two free transfers aren't progressive onesTwo other free transfers soar in the confront of a more youthful outlook at the London Stadium, however.

Kyle Walker-Peters has just endured an awful season with Southampton, where the sum total of the 28-year-old right-support's attacking intent was just two assists in 33 league matches played.

Although his immense passing accuracy of 90.

5% in the league will curry favour with the East London faithful, supporters are used to seeing their full-backs overlap and provide supplementary attacking presence.

Just eight successful crosses from 51 tried is hardly the sort of return that's going to thrill those who pay their money each week to hero worship those wearing the claret and blue.

Only 44 tackles made across the entire campaign also speaks of a player unwilling or unable to obtain his foot in when required, even if winning 29 of them offered him a healthy 65.

9% success rate.

Kyle Walker-Peters Radar Graphic 2024/25Opta by Stats PerformOut of contract and without a club, ex-Newcastle man Callum Wilson was the next to reach off the old stagers' production line.

At 33 years of age, the striker is arguably well past his best, and that is evidenced by the fact that he didn't register a single goal or assist in 18 Premier League appearances for the Magpies last season.

Callum Wilson's terrible injury recordIt's true that his 357 total minutes in the Premier League only equate to three minutes shy of four full games, but if the Hammers are looking to integrate Wilson into the lineup and provide competition for the likes of Niclas Fullkrug, he has to be finding the net on a more regular basis.

That's not to mention his terrible recent injury record.

Last season alone, he missed 29 games, and over the last five campaigns, he has possessed nine separate hamstring injuries, two calf injuries, a chest and support injury and coronavirus.

Callum Wilson's Recent InjuriesBetopickMove support to his Bournemouth days, and he possessed another three hamstring injuries to contend with, two cruciate ligament tears and a knee injury.

If Potter and the West Ham board are so keen on being seen to be progressive, why on earth are they signing players that no one else wants?Penny pinching is in the Hammers' DNAIt flies in the confront of the narrative that the club seem content to push out through various media channels.

In fact, it is more in keeping with the usual modus operandi of the club - aiming to do business on the cheap and pinching everyone else's cast-offs when there's little they can offer other than being another body in the squad.

Another name to be linked is Chelsea reject Raheem Sterling.

At 30, he is another player whose best days are clearly behind him.

Raheem Sterling Recent Season StatsBetopickOn loan at Arsenal in 2024/25, the England international could only offer up one goal and five assists in his 28 games for the Gunners, across competitions.

In the Premier League, only 32 of his 182 passes were forward, which suggests that the wide man prefers to cut support inside and play the square ball, or even the simple option support to his midfield or defence.

That's not what the 'Academy of Football' needs from a winger.

Front foot, aggressive and up-tempo play with accurate passing is the order of the day, and Sterling hasn't been able to hand over that for a while now.

Reports have also suggested that the Hammers have reached a verbal agreement with Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor a.

k.

a John, but he, too, is already 29 years old.

Whilst that might be considered young enough for a keeper, it's still not a progressive transfer.

Potter is known for his love of working with younger players and getting the best out of them, so what's occurred so far this summer could see the Englishman soon consider his options.

Champions League football remains a pipe dreamMajor shareholders, David Sullivan (38.

8%) and Daniel Kretinsky (27% under the 1890s Holdings banner), are collectively worth in the region of £8.

54bn, so they're certainly not short of funds with which to strengthen the squad significantly.

Questions, therefore, have to be requested of the board in terms of the amount of money that they make available for transfers and exactly why they don't seem to want to push the boat and sign some high-quality players.

The issue of speculating to accumulate doesn't even come into play, either.

When the club moved to the London Stadium, former co-chairman, David Gold, espoused that they were going to be playing Champions League football within five years.

That was obviously going to require significant investment on the playing side, and that arguably hasn't been forthcoming to the extent required.

Given their 14th-place complete in 2024/25, the Irons are over as far away from the Champions League as it's possible to be, and the lack of quality in the majority of their signings and potential targets this summer reveals the absolute truth over the club's real ambitions.

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