David Moyes simply must be confident of the imminent signing of Filip Kostic after sanctioning a notable West Ham exit for Arthur Masuaku.
Before retiring in the summer former West Ham captain Mark Noble sent a parting message to the club’s owners that Moyes had been operating at least three players short last season.
That was before he and a host of others left the club this summer.
Moyes said himself he needed to oversee a big rebuild at the London Stadium.
West Ham have made four signings so far with the 2022-23 season just days away but only three of those are new arrivals. Moyes is said to want another three or four.
Eintracht Frankfurt star Kostic is very much Moyes’ key focus right now if recent reports are to be believed (Sky Sports).
It has been another on-off saga but top Italian ITK reporter Alfredo Pedulla claimed the Serbian assist king could now join West Ham by Wednesday should Juventus and Inter Milan not take up what remains of a 72-hour window to sign him.
Now it seems West Ham are on the brink of letting a player leave their shallow squad and it surely suggests the Hammers could seal that exciting deal.
Moyes simply must be confident of the imminent arrival of Kostic as his latest signing after sanctioning a notable West Ham exit for Masuaku.
The left-sided player, who has been used at left-back, left wingback and as a winger by Moyes at West Ham, is reportedly on the verge of sealing a season-long loan move to Turkish side Besiktas.
The Hammers will even be covering a percentage of Masukau’s annual salary to get the deal done, claims writer Sercan Dikme – as also reported by KUMB.
The deal will reportedly include an option for Besiktas to buy.
Moyes has been bemoaning his lack of depth during pre-season and effectively sent an ultimatum to the owners that he needed more signings following the defeat to Rangers at Ibrox.
Masuaku is not going to be close to Moyes’s starting XI with everyone fit. But the Hammers do not have many options on the left, hence the links to the likes of Kostic.
So why would Moyes sanction Masuaku’s departure from his already shallow squad if he was not confident that someone is on their way in?
The Scot knows what he is doing and has showed he does not let squad players go lightly with his refusal to allow Issa Diop to leave in light of Nayef Aguerd’s injury.
Masuaku’s move seriously suggests a left-sided player is about to arrive.
Whether that is Kostic remains to be seen.
But it could well be given the reported 48-hour window on that deal, Pedulla’s claims that neither Juve or Inter are particularly interested and the timing of Masuaku’s imminent move to Turkey.
We can but hope. It should certainly make for an interesting couple of days at West Ham.