Joe Cole tells owners they must pump money into key area to ensure West Ham keeps its soul

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Former Hammers star Joe Cole has told the owners they must pump money into a key area to ensure West Ham keeps its soul.

There is no escaping the fact that transfers have become as much part of the entertainment as the football in the modern day game – particularly at the top level.

And it’s no different at West Ham.

The fanfare around transfer windows and money being spent by clubs is very much something fans – particularly younger ones – enjoy.

At West Ham, technical director Tim Steidten has become something of a cult hero with his own terrace chant after overseeing a successful summer transfer window.

Worrying trend for Academy of Football

But it comes against the backdrop of a worrying trend developing which has seen West Ham losing some of their top young talent in recent years.

And it has not been a good look for the self-styled Academy of Football. Nor does it bode particularly well for the future.

West Ham have a long history when it comes to producing top players from their academy. And supporters are hugely proud of that reputation. You only need to look at how many West Ham fans turned out to watch the club’s youngsters win the FA Youth Cup last season for proof.

But fewer and fewer are making it into the first team and staying there.

England youth internationals Jamal Baptiste and Divine Mukasa left West Ham to join Man City.

Last year another England youth star, Sonny Perkins, ditched the Hammers to move to Leeds. Right-back Harrison Ashby refused to sign a deal as he left for Newcastle. Promising Jeremy Ngakia did the same when joining Watford a few years ago.

Joe Cole tells owners they must pump money into key area

And David Moyes was powerless to stop yet another highly-rated England youth international Amaro Nallo from joining Liverpool recently.

Homegrown captain and talisman Declan Rice then pushed to join Arsenal in the summer as that trend extended to first team stars too.

Now there are doubts over the future of young striker Divin Mubama amid an impasse over a new contract.

Someone who knows all about graduating from the Academy of Football and what it means to the club is Joe Cole.

The former Hammers star enjoyed a fantastic career for club and country after coming through the West Ham ranks.

And Cole has told the owners they must pump money into a key area to ensure West Ham keeps its soul.

With the January transfer window almost upon us, attentions are already turning to who West Ham might sign with a striker and full-backs the top priorities.

But Cole told TNT Sports West Ham must not lose sight of the academy and is urging co-owners David Sullivan and Daniel Kretinsky to invest heavily in that area.

‘It’s something the club needs to hold onto’

Cole says West Ham will never be able to match the budget and lure of the European elite. And he says the answer lies within.

“What I would like to see from West Ham as a club – and tonight (vs Backa Topola) is fantastic because you’ve got Divin Mubama coming in, you’ve got (Dan) Chesters, (Ollie) Scarles, (Lewis) Orford, (Conor) Coventry players coming from the youth team,” Cole said.

“They won the youth cup last year and I think it’s crucial a club like West Ham that’s built on being the Academy of Football (take) whatever money is coming into the club from the success we’re having now, invest it into the future, invest it into keeping this going.

“When you think about West Ham, around the world people think about the academy, people think about the players they’ve brought through, the players they’ve nurtured.

“Keep on that because that’s something the club needs to hold onto.”

Wise words indeed. It is a delicate balance for the owners and the club given how tough it is for young players to make it in the Premier League nowadays.

But one they must strive to get right nonetheless. Our history dictates it.

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