Another striker bullet dodged for West Ham United as Abdallah Sima latest development proves David Moyes knows best.
West Ham’s long search for a striker has spanned three transfer windows and over 18 months.
In that time the man Moyes is trying to replace, Sebastien Haller, has even moved clubs.
So too has one of West Ham’s much touted striker targets of that time, Abdallah Sima.
Sima, 21, ended up joining Brighton last summer from West Ham’s then Czech “feeder/sister club” on a four-year deal having been heavily tracked by the Hammers.
A relentless string of reports had claimed Sima was going to follow in the footsteps of Slavia stars Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal and join West Ham.
Last summer Prague manager Jindrich Trpisovsky took the unusual step of telling the club’s official Twitter account about West Ham’s inquiry for Senegal forward Sima.
“There is interest in Abdallah Sima,” he said.
“There’s a set price at which he could leave. We’re currently focusing on him playing the rest of the season with us.
“We talked about it with the boys from West Ham, where they have him very high on the list of possible reinforcements.”
The world and its wife seemed to be crying out for Moyes to sign Sima at the time.
But he ended up – somewhat under the radar – joining West Ham’s Premier League rivals Brighton who immediately sent him on loan to Stoke City.
Given most observers feel Brighton were a forward short of being a really top side last term, it seemed a bizarre decision.
After just four appearances in the Championship for Stoke, the man so many wanted at West Ham went back to Brighton for whom he is yet to make a single appearance.
And it will stay that way for another season at least.
It looks to be another striker bullet dodged for West Ham as Sima latest proves Moyes knows best.
Because the towering attacker, who can play across the front line, has been shipped out on a season-long loan to Angers in France.
Brighton technical director David Weir said: “This is an ideal loan, and one which will give Abdallah an opportunity to play regularly in French first division, gain more experience and continue his development.
“Last season was disrupted by injury for Abdallah at Stoke City, but we saw his ability in the games he did play and the potential he offers.
“We will keep a close eye on his progress and wish him well for the season ahead.”
Graham Potter clearly feels Sima is not up to – or at least not ready for – playing in the Premier League.
So West Ham clearly made the right call resisting bringing him to the London Stadium.
It comes as another forward who was heavily linked with West Ham is being shipped out by Villarreal after just one season too.
Further proof, if it were needed, that Moyes knows best.
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