The Summer Transfer Thread 2022.

[Colours never run]

Belotti looks slow when I have seen him play .

Not in front of goal he's not. He's usually very sharp and does it past stubborn hard to score against Serie A Italian Defences.

[Bring_Back_Connolly]

Belotti looks slow when I have seen him play .

While not fast, I certainly wouldn't say slow.
Strong in the box, can finish on either foot. Has a few caps for Italy. Will be a coup for free. I don't think it'll be us sadly.

[The Straw]

Not in front of goal he's not. He's usually very sharp and does it past stubborn hard to score against Serie A Italian Defences.

Is that definitely still the case in Serie A? I know it used to be in the 80s and 90s. I don't watch much Italian football anymore but a glance at the table suggests that it's comparable to our league these days for goals scored. It's true Torino didn't score many goals though.

[Iron-on-transfer]

One thing that strikes me about Downes, other than his excellent passing is that he's perfected the dying art of the sliding tackle. He looks to really enjoy launching himself into them and appears to do it cleanly without fouling or injuring the opponent.

I noted that too, but I also thought at the time...wonder how many of those sort of tackles will have the likes of Richarlison, Fernandes and Son type players rolling around for half an hour afterwards in the Premiership.....and the piss poor refs we have in the Prem will probably then penalize the poor kid! Hope not.

Oh and to those still posting possible lists showing 4 out and 4 in btw.....can I remind people we need more in's than out's by the end of this window. Our squad needs expanding as evidenced last season.

[Peaches]

I noted that too, but I also thought at the time...wonder how many of those sort of tackles will have the likes of Richarlison, Fernandes and Son type players rolling around for half an hour afterwards in the Premiership.....and the piss poor refs we have in the Prem will probably then penalize the poor kid! Hope not.

Oh and to those still posting possible lists showing 4 out and 4 in btw.....can I remind people we need more in's than out's by the end of this window. Our squad needs expanding as evidenced last season.

I really like Downes, have since he was at Ipswich. He’s come on a lot since then. You’ve highlighted his one weakness, he gives away a lot of fouls, and likes a risky tackle. Hopefully Moyes and co can work on that. I love the fact he’s one of us. Broja looks like he’s edging closer as Chelsea should complete the signing of Sterling by the weekend and are still looking at Ronaldo, Neymar and Raphina.

[Shabu]

I feel a bit sorry for Fulham and Bournemouth when you see them sign players like Diop and Fredericks.

You know exactly where they are on the totem pole and can pinpoint the points in our recent existence when we were in that position. There’s something visceral about remembering the fake excitement we’d generate when signing that level of player in order to convince ourselves it had any actual meaning.

Poor guys. It’s pretty much the highest level of player they can attract and it will still make no difference to them.

I might be alone in this but I don't think Diop is that bad.

[Shabu]

I love how this video gives him 7/10 for jumping.

I wonder what's the lowest they've ever rated someone for jumping.

Benni Mccarthy 2/10 Jumping

[IlGallo]

I feel a bit sorry for Fulham and Bournemouth when you see them sign players like Diop and Fredericks.

f*** me, did I miss us winning 3 consecutive CLs or something?

Downright Spursy levels of arrogance and delusion in this one.

A little bit nauseating to read from a hammer, frankly.

[Peaches]

Looks like we are going to be very busy in the next week or so.
It appears that Downes will be a hammer by the weekend, and Chelsea will make a decision on Broja by then. Toss in Diop and Arthur to Fulham and that could be 2 in and 2 out in the next week. If the rumoured numbers are to believed, we’ll be sitting something like
In:
Aguerd £28M + 6M in add ons
Areola £7.7M
Downes £9M +3M
Broja £25M + £10M
Total £60M +19M in add ons
Out:
Noble Retired
Yarmolenko out of contract
Fredericks out of contract
Martin out of contract
Kral end of loan
Areola end of loan
Diop £12.7 M +5M in add ons
Arthur £4.3M
Total : £17M + 5M in add ons
Net Spend: £43M plus £14M in add ons

Its a good start but we would desperately need a left back, can use another centre back, central midfielder and attacking midfielder.
You can argue that Coventry, Alese, Ekwah and Okoflex can fill in, but we still need more depth and have a gaping hole at left back.
Lingard would fill a huge need, although I’m getting quite tired of that whole situation.
I can see us going for Ross Barkley as an alternative to Lingard. Chelsea are now saying he can leave for free, he’s a year younger than Lingard, will be cheaper on wages, only played 90 minutes less than Lingard last year. He’s had a very rough time at Chelsea (not unlike Lingard over the same timeframe) but he has the same number of goals as Lingard and twice as many assists in his career. Moyes gave him his debut, and has always spoken highly of him,

[helic0n]

https://youtu.be/t29aQnUY1fA

This highlights clip from January shows Downes with plenty of nice touches. I'm sure it was an under-strength Saints team, but he looks very composed on the ball. Can see him slotting in alongside Rice when the opposition is sitting deep. Or even in a back three.

[Haarlemammer]

In honour of this thread, his nickname, should he join, must surely be “Multiple melt”…


Looks promising to me - I see glimpses of Rice in his play in the few short YT clips

[funky chicken]

If the links to Fulham are true and they really are competing with Lyon to sign him, then there is no reason whatsoever why we can’t shift Diop for at least the money we bought him for. Even if it means we receive a percentage of the payment a season later. E.g. £18m now, £5m next summer.

I would deliberately activate his 1 year option on his contract just to boost his valuation.

[daveo]

Looks like we are going to be very busy in the next week or so.
It appears that Downes will be a hammer by the weekend, and Chelsea will make a decision on Broja by then.

Agree on the real need for a LB and also another attacking midfielder but why do we need another CB?

We have Zouma, Aguerd, Ogbonna and Dawson. Really don’t think we need a fifth with Alese as a promising youngster there too. There are much more pressing needs elsewhere and apparently Ogb has looked excellent in training so far now he’s fit again.

As for Barkley, it’s his attitude that’s the issue in my eyes, Stats don’t tell the whole story if you’re comparing him to Lingard who we know fitted in well in his last spell with the club.

[Aztec Hammer]

**** me, did I miss us winning 3 consecutive CLs or something?

Downright Spursy levels of arrogance and delusion in this one.

A little bit nauseating to read from a hammer, frankly.

No not at all, if anything it’s the complete opposite as I’m saying I know exactly what it feels like as it weren’t that long ago that we were in that situation year in, year out.

Then we got lucky with a star player out of our academy, managed to build some momentum off of that with a few players around him and well yeah, we’ve finished 6th, 7th and got to a European Semi Final.

Not quite your 3 consecutive CLs but clearly we’ve gone up a level from where we were once at.

Arrogance and delusion? By saying I feel sorry for the promoted teams when I see them sign poor players as part of their attempts to stay in the league? Leave it out.

Ffs why have West Ham fans got to play us down all the time. We’re obviously not Bournemouth or Fulham level anymore but we just can’t have that. Any acknowledgement that we might be half decent these days and moved on from that struggle of recruiting mediocre players because that’s all we could attract apparently means I think we are Real Madrid.

God it’s tedious seeing any positive spin about our recent success compared to our past seen as ‘Spursy’.

Evidently if I were a proper Hammer I’d be grounding myself in realism and preparing for a good old relegation battle with Bournemouth and Fulham. Can’t be getting ahead of myself.

[Hamburger]

I can see us going for Ross Barkley as an alternative to Lingard. Chelsea are now saying he can leave for free, he’s a year younger than Lingard, will be cheaper on wages, only played 90 minutes less than Lingard last year. He’s had a very rough time at Chelsea (not unlike Lingard over the same timeframe) but he has the same number of goals as Lingard and twice as many assists in his career. Moyes gave him his debut, and has always spoken highly of him,

I'd take Barclay all day long over Jesse 'Pele Ronaldo Neymar' Lingard. Not saying he's a better player but he's a battler and will fight for the shirt and not his trouser pocket. I think he's on around 100k a week so wages should not be an issue and I'd like to think he would want to join us. I'd love to see him Antonio and/or Broja bullying defences. Not my favourite person and he's probably marmite for our fans (as Lingard once was) but I'd rather have a tough nut than a prima donna.

[WCpete]

I've always considered Barkley the opposite of a battler, tbh. On his day he can be top class, but those days seem to be the exception to his norm. To me he has always seemed one of those players that hides when the intensity ramps up. I don't know what it is about him, but from the outside it just seems to me that he lacks the character you want in a player. That no manager seems to want to keep him would lend credence to that. It's just my uneducated 2 cents, but I'd prefer we pass on Barkley.

[hammerman11]

if diop goes for 20m then we will need another CB for sure as we cant rely on oggy and dawson staying fit as back ups. plus zouma is injury prone.
I wonder how much nathan collins would be ?

broja is looking like he is leaving chelsea soon so he will have a choice of the money at newcastle, everton relegation battle and a team on the up fighting for top 4 hopefully.

LB ? pellegrini 15m
CM downes 10m looks good but would love teleimans 30m
AM sarr 15m /dennis 15m
CF broja 30m

outs masuaka 5m diop 20m vlasic 10m randolph free

My deadline for lingard has passed so we need to move on now and sign young and hungry players.

not sure I fancy ross barkeley evn on a free !

[davids cross]

If he turns up at West Ham saying something like....

"Was born in the area........all my family are West Ham..........Used to go over to Upton Park...........What a great ground...........Always loved West Ham."

And nobody will believe him.....

Corse you did mate.... bet you had a West Ham duvet too......

And he'll be like....."But I really did".....

[Hamburger]

I've always considered Barkley the opposite of a battler, tbh. On his day he can be top class, but those days seem to be the exception to his norm. To me he has always seemed one of those players that hides when the intensity ramps up. I don't know what it is about him, but from the outside it just seems to me that he lacks the character you want in a player. That no manager seems to want to keep him would lend credence to that. It's just my uneducated 2 cents, but I'd prefer we pass on Barkley.

Fair comment but I think he was slightly out of his depth a Chelsea? At Villa, different gravy. Could be he is on a similar trajectory as Lingard last year and needs an opportunity to shine at his level? Free & reasonable salary is tempting to have an experienced head in the team. Maybe an upgrade on Lanzini who we could let go to River Plate for a few mill?

[Aztec Hammer]

Fair comment but I think he was slightly out of his depth a Chelsea? At Villa, different gravy. Could be he is on a similar trajectory as Lingard last year and needs an opportunity to shine at his level? Free & reasonable salary is tempting to have an experienced head in the team. Maybe an upgrade on Lanzini who we could let go to River Plate for a few mill?

He was nothing special at Villa. I mostly remember him for kicking off when he got subbed off. It is a bit questionable that you are having a pop at Lingard for his salary but then say Barkley will be reasonable as he is only on 100k at Chelsea.

Lingard at least proved he was a difference maker for us. I wouldn't have Barkley here for free. I think he is trouble.