As former West Ham United striker Carlton Cole puts it, with Kyle Walker-Peters and El Hadji Malick Diouf in the building, the summer transfer window is starting to take shape at the Premier League outfit.
The sale of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur – Daniel Levy forked over £54.5 million after weeks of negotiation – finally freed up the funds Graham Potter needed to start rebuilding an underperforming Hammers squad.
El Hadji Malick Diouf was West Ham United’s first signing of the window, coming just days after Kudus’ departure.
The Senegal international would be joined, almost immediately, by another technically-gifted full-back in the shape of former Southampton ace Kyle Walker-Peters.
West Ham expect to sign Callum Wilson, too.
Now, Carlton Cole opted to keep his powder dry when first asked about the ex-Newcastle poacher a few days ago. That was before talkSPORT reported that personal terms had been agreed.
The injury-prone Wilson is likely to join now on a short-term deal heavily incentivised with appearance and goal bonuses.
Now, with a seemingly inevitable deal edging ever closer, Cole provides a much deeper dive into a striker who, when fit, can finish off chances as well as anyone in the Premier League. Unfortunately, keeping Callum Wilson fit is a problem Newcastle know about all too well.
Carlton Cole expresses Callum Wilson doubts as West Ham United close in on ex-Newcastle striker
Wilson started only two league matches in the 2024/25 campaign. In five seasons at St James’ Park, he missed 114 games in total.
And, at the age of 33, it feels rather fanciful to suggest that Wilson’s aceing limbs will grow stronger in the autumn of his career.
“Callum Wilson, when he’s fit, he is a really renowned, really good striker. He gets goals. Always scores against West Ham United!” Cole, who now works as the Loans and Pathways Manager at the London Stadium, tells talkSPORT.
“Look, he’s a good player. He’s a good player. But is it what Graham Potter wants? If it’s what Graham Potter wants, then I will go with it. If he sees the vision, he can make it work.”
Wilson has scored a remarkable 12 goals in 16 Premier League matches against the Hammers for Newcastle and AFC Bournemouth respectively, a record which began with a hat-trick in a stunning 4-3 Cherries victory at Upton Park a decade ago.
Cole suggests that West Ham may be better off putting their hands in their pockets and signing a younger, fitter, faster number nine instead, however. Wilson feels like a classic case of kicking the can down the road. A somewhat ‘desperate’, short-term quick fix to a long-running problem.
“I like Callum Wilson when he’s fit, but how many times is he fit?,” Cole asks. “Can he maintain [the required fitness levels]? That is the biggest problem.
“Yes, we do need a striker but how desperate are we to get a striker in? Can we get one that is younger, maybe to complement Jarrod Bowen?”
Cole wants athletic midfielder to complement Lucas Paqueta
Cole, scorer of 68 West Ham goals between 2006 and 2015, is backing Lucas Paqueta and Crysencio Summerville to silence their critics next term. Paqueta is expected to be cleared of his spot-fixing charges, while Summerville is training again after a season-ending hamstring injury.
In addition to a younger penalty-box presence, Cole would like to see the Hammers sign an athletic, physically imposing midfielder. One capable of freeing up Paqueta in the final third, while providing the mobility lacking from Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez.
“Paqueta is going to be a big part of the season. He is going to be reinvigorated. He’s got a point to prove,” Cole adds. “Last season wasn’t his greatest season. We need to try and get to the next level, and he is a big part of that.
“Whoever does come in has to complement the players [already] there. We’ve got Summerville coming back as well. As long as these boys stay fit…
“Get some more firepower, some legs into the midfield as well I think is needed at West Ham, just to get around the pitch.
“We’ve just signed Diouf, Walker-Peters as well. Suddenly, you can see a little bit of shape forming. That is where West Ham United want to go.”
Hammers News understands that Club Brugge enforcer Raphael Onyedika is West Ham’s number one target for the midfield position.
A spokesman for the board has claimed that reports of talks with Juventus regarding Douglas Luiz are ‘not true’, meanwhile.
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