West Ham’s financial limitations have been laid bare after an official announcement about a flop confirmed what many fans feared – the Hammers really have next to no money to spend.
With West Ham’s transfer business stalling again as rivals strengthen, pressure is mounting on David Sullivan and co.
The Hammers were forced to sell Mohammed Kudus to Spurs for a knockdown £54.5m.
Graham Potter’s only major outlay so far has been left wingback El Hadji Malick Diouf for an initial £19m.
Kyle Walker-Peters has been signed on a free transfer and West Ham are believed to be on the verge of bringing in another free agent in the form of ageing, injury-prone striker Callum Wilson.
That’s despite most Hammers fans feeling the club needs to sign at least one top new young forward – if not two.
West Ham clearly have no money
After sorting the wingback situation, word was West Ham were turning to other positions including midfield, centre-back and goalkeeper.
Konstantinos Mavropanos has failed to establish himself in the Hammers side since arriving from Stuttgart.
With Potter keen to play three centre-backs, West Ham have been linked with a number of central defender targets.
They include Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Koni De Winter and Albian Hajdari.
A deal for Hajdari was reportedly all but done last week for a ridiculously low £3m fee.
The likes of Mavropanos, Emerson Palmieri, Nayef Aguerd, Guido Rodriguez and Edson Alvarez are all up for sale to raise further funds for Potter’s rebuild.
But West Ham clearly have no money as an official announcement about a flop confirms fears.
When West Ham were planning their summer sales to raise funds for Potter’s transfer kitty, Aguerd was right near the top of the list.
After a relatively successful loan spell at Real Sociedad, the Spaniards were tipped to make it permanent.
But despite being flush with cash from players sales, Sociedad elected not to push to keep the £30m Hammers flop.
A number of other clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Juventus, Marseille and even Real Madrid have also been linked with Aguerd this summer – with the Hammers hoping to recoup around £15m.
Official announcement about flop confirms Hammers fears
Sunderland were also reportedly considering making an offer to West Ham for Aguerd.
Although it was revealed Aguerd would not be open to that move as he ‘just doesn’t want to be in England’.
In reality offers have been thin on the ground and selling the former Rennes man, who turns 30 next season, is proving difficult.
West Ham paid what was a club record fee for a defender at the time to sign Aguerd.
He struggled dismally to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League, hence West Ham’s decision to loan him out to La Liga last season.
Aguerd formed a partnership that was partly responsible for West Ham shipping their Premier League record worst 74 goals the season before last.
His weak, nervy, error-prone displays – while wearing a permanent frown – saw him fall out of favour in east London – with management and the fans.
It was claimed Aguerd had no intention of returning to play for West Ham again and even changed agents to try and force a move elsewhere.
It was confirmed by top club sources recently that Aguerd requested not to return to training with West Ham for pre-season, so as not to risk an injury which could jeopardise a move.
During his time away, and with West Ham still a mess defensively, Aguerd has become a better player in the minds of many West Ham fans with short memories.
His performance against Grasshoppers offered a reminder of the limitations in his play, though.
And the Premier League will be another almighty step up from that level.
Hammers News reported this week that Potter dropped a major hint Aguerd is staying at West Ham by assigning him to look after new boy Diouf.
Now West Ham have all but confirmed Aguerd will be staying in east London for another season.
Aguerd’s number is not up at West Ham
That’s after the club officially announced the Moroccan international has changed to the number five – vacated by released right-back Vladimir Coufal – from the number 27.
In an announcement, which tries to talk up Aguerd’s performance against Grasshoppers, it is made perfectly clear Aguerd is being reintegrated to the squad.
That means West Ham are unlikely to sign the new defender the club sorely needs.
And it once again pushes the age of the squad up – with Wilson, who turns 34 next season – threatening to add even more to that figure.
This proves Potter does not have the funds needed to go out and get his targets.
Any money he does have is clearly being kept to sign midfielders and a goalkeeper.
Whether that means West Ham will now have the money to push through a deal for Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott remains to be seen.
Because Elliott has now broken his silence on the links with West Ham and it brought some rare good news for Potter.
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