A source very close to majority owner David Sullivan says West Ham are closing on making a first signing of the summer but there are legitimate questions over Graham Potter’s influence.
Graham Potter is on the verge of officially marking the start of his big West Ham rebuild with a first permanent signing.
The problem is there are legitimate doubts over whether he has had much of a say in it.
West Ham have put on record that they must sell to buy.
While the Hammers are not in any danger of being sanctioned for a PSR breach, £80m West Ham losses are on the horizon in the next accounts.
West Ham have also borrowed against and spent every penny of £69m that was owed to them in transfer fees by others clubs in the form of a deal with Barclays Bank.
Sullivan confidant says first West Ham signing now imminent
The club’s board stated they are working hard to make sales so they can ‘start trading’.
Overhauling the midfield and signing new strikers is the top priority.
So too is lowering the age of the Premier League’s oldest squad.
Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui took the top flight’s second oldest collection of players, spent £155m on nine signings and somehow made it the oldest.
That has left the Irons with a slow, immobile and incoherent mix of players in midfield who simply do not complement one another.
Big changes are needed and Potter made it clear before the end of last season they were coming, with age a key focus.
“I think it makes sense for us to lower it (the age of the squad), because then you’re talking more about value and resale and a different profile of player,” Potter told the press about his summer transfer policy.
“I’m not ageist. But I also understand the bigger global picture of football and I’ve come in from the last two clubs (where they) would look to younger players because there are upsides to younger players.”
West Ham are banking on selling Mohammed Kudus and others to raise funds.
The Hammers have been given fresh encouragement over a Kudus deal with Chelsea.
But the club are yet to make a sale.
Brownhill joining West Ham now ‘very realistic’
That has not stopped them closing in on Potter’s first signing of the summer – the only question is how much he had to do with it.
A close confidant of majority owner David Sullivan, who is back in ultimate control of West Ham’s transfers, says the signing of Burnley free agent midfielder Josh Brownhill is now imminent.
Claret and Hugh claim terms and a potential agreement have already been discussed with central midfielder Brownhill.
Former three-time Hammer of the Year Scott Parker has been desperately trying to keep Brownhill at Burnley after their promotion back to the Premier League.
The report states Brownhill does have other options but that talks are ‘advanced’ and it is ‘very realistic’ he will sign for West Ham.
Is first signing of Potter’s West Ham rebuild even his pick?
There is no doubt Brownhill was superb for the Clarets in the Championship last season.
The Burnley skipper scored 18 goals and laid on six assists in 39 second tier games.
Brownhill certainly has the kind of energy and enthusiasm West Ham are lacking in midfield.
The Man United academy product is also the kind of leader the Hammers need.
But the elephant in the room is his age.
Brownhill turns 30 a few months into the new season.
West Ham fans have been sold a vision – once again – of building a talented team of young, hungry players who can grow together as a group.
Elephant in the room over Brownhill deal
Potter has put on record that his specific goal is to lower the age of the team.
Yet here we are and the man who will allegedly be West Ham’s first permanent signing of Potter’s reign is just a year younger than Guido Rodriguez, Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse.
Something doesn’t quite add up.
Besides the financials of course – which make this a cheap deal for West Ham given no transfer fee is required.
Brownhill’s wage demands won’t be excessive either given his age and the fact he’s been playing in the second division.
Of course Potter may want Brownhill for some experience to kick off a youthful rebuild. Time will tell whether that is the case.
But given what the man himself has said about his recruitment policy, the jury will already be out on the influence of Potter and head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay on transfers if Brownhill becomes West Ham’s first signing of their overhaul.
Because West Ham cynics will say it has Sullivan’s fingerprints all over it.
And while that may not necessarily be a bad thing, it calls into question whether that is the ‘aligned and unified approach to West Ham transfers’ Potter demanded just a couple of weeks ago.
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