Jamie Carragher’s warning about West Ham is looking painfully accurate as big-spending Nottingham Forest swoop for what many consider the Hammers’ last hope in an astonishing twist.
Graham Potter has insisted he is ‘pleased’ with West Ham’s summer transfer business so far.
If that is the case then goodness knows how Nuno Espirito Santo is feeling at Nottingham Forest.
The Hammers needed a major overhaul this summer.
But Potter has lost a key player in Mohammed Kudus and has only been able to make four additions to his West Ham squad, two of them full-backs, a goalkeeper and an ageing, injury-prone striker.
There is still no direct replacement for Kudus and West Ham’s biggest, most important issue – their midfield – has been left until last.
Nottingham Forest swoop on four West Ham targets
While the Hammers are struggling to sign a midfielder, Nottingham Forest are on the verge of signing not one, not two but three Potter targets and they could now be set to sign a FOURTH.
Given West Ham are yet to address their fundamental issue with a slow, ageing, immobile midfield that lacks power, pace, craft and guile, it is easy to see why so many pundits and journalists are tipping them for the drop.
With injury-prone Niclas Fullkrug, who is 33 next season, and injury cursed Callum Wilson, who is 34 next season, West Ham’s only senior striker options, things do not look good in east London.
That’s why Jamie Carragher believes West Ham will be relegated.
This time last year Carragher felt Nottingham Forest would struggle to stay up while he tipped the Hammers as outsiders for a Champions League tilt after they spent £155m.
The opposite proved true in the end as Forest came agonisingly close to dining at Europe’s top table while the Hammers were fighting to avoid finishing 17th, grateful that the bottom three clubs were so woefully bad.
That won’t be the case this season. The Premier League is expected to be at its most competitive in years.
So West Ham have taken a huge gamble leaving their midfield overhaul until last.
And it is a risk that has come back to bite them thanks to Forest and their owner Evangelos Marinakis showing what true ambition really looks like.
Carragher says Hammers doomed to relegation
Carragher looks right as big-spending Nottingham Forest now go for West Ham’s last hope.
The Hammers missed out on Jacob Ramsey this week after Potter’s top target chose Newcastle instead.
Other reported targets Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish have joined Everton.
Meanwhile Nottingham Forest are said to be on the verge of signing West Ham targets Douglas Luiz, Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee in a stunning triple swoop.
It is the fourth Hammers target Forest are now said to be in the box seat to sign which is most devastating of all, though.
Carragher looks right as big-spending Forest eye Fernandes next
West Ham had a £30m bid for Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes rejected this week.
Saints reportedly told the Hammers not to bother making a second offer unless they added £20m on top.
There has been claim and counter claim about the situation since.
Will Still gave West Ham hope with a big Southampton admission over transfers this week.
Many Hammers fans have been hopeful another masterclass is on the way after West Ham managed to force Leicester down from over £30m to less than £18m for Mads Hermansen.
With other midfield targets dropping like flies, all West Ham’s eggs are in the Fernandes basket.
The 21-year-old Portuguese seemed to give the Hammers hope of a deal this week too.
Fernandes took matters into his own hands when Saints rejected West Ham’s bid.
The former Sporting star, who cost Southampton £15m last summer, asked the club to be more realistic about his price tag so he could secure a move back to the Premier League.
Now he could be about to do just that, but with Nottingham Forest and not West Ham.
That’s according to Telegraph journalist John Percy.
The reporter claims Forest’s spending is showing no signs of stopping as Marinakis pushes the boat out again to support his manager ahead of their Europa League campaign.
And West Ham target Fernandes is next on the Tricky Trees’ list.
While West Ham’s owners are taking out loans to borrow against future transfer payments and the club’s training ground, Marinakis is using rights issues to get around PSR and pump as much money as possible into Nottingham Forest.
Forest believe European football could give them the edge for Fernandes, who has been ‘high on the club’s list’ all summer.
It seems, unlike West Ham, Forest are not perturbed by Southampton’s valuation either.
If Nottingham Forest beat West Ham to Fernandes then it leaves Potter looking for scraps elsewhere.
That will gravely concern Hammers fans and it may just prove Carragher right.
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