West Ham are facing a major rebuild this summer after a disastrous season and it seems Graham Potter already has his ducks in a row.
Big spending and results usually go hand-in-hand in football – but West Ham are the exception this season.
More often than not it is the clubs who spend the most on players who occupy the top positions in any league.
But after committing £155m to signings last summer, only the dotted line separates West Ham and the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Tim Steidten oversaw his first and only West Ham transfer window where he was in full control.
Potter and Macaulay must clean up West Ham squad mess
The fact he was sacked by the time the January window rolled around says everything about how that turned out.
What’s more important than how much you spend, is how you spend it.
That’s where Graham Potter and his recruitment guru Kyle Macaulay come in.
Macaulay is not a deal maker but a talent spotter who will be identifying West Ham’s targets.
However, the problem for the Hammers this summer is money.
West Ham have made it perfectly clear players must be sold before any arrive.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire says West Ham’s PSR claims ‘seem odd’.
The Hammers’ hierarchy is adamant that is the case, though.
After a terrible season there are plenty of candidates for West Ham to flog.
But getting good money for them is going to be difficult for the very same reason.
After a steady stream of negativity out of the club, there is finally some positive news to report.
Because West Ham are in live talks to seal a first summer deal and it’s great news for Potter.
Not all of Steidten’s signings were bad.
But the German did make poor decisions regarding the profile of player and which areas needed strengthening.
West Ham in live talks to seal first summer transfer
Steidten also made the error of letting Julen Lopetegui have a big say in some of the deals last summer – such as Guido Rodriguez.
The Argentinean arrived on a free transfer from Real Betis and was supposed to reunite with his former Club America teammate Edson Alvarez to form solid central midfield.
Rodriguez and Alvarez have barely played together at all after a disaster-class in a 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea.
Rodriguez is a World Cup and Copa America winning midfielder.
But he has made just 14 starts for the Hammers all season after struggling to adapt to the pace and physicality of the English game.
Brilliant news for Potter’s West Ham rebuild
He is one of at least 11 – and as many as 16 – players West Ham want to offload this summer as part of their drive to raise funds for Potter’s rebuild.
So there is great news for the Hammers boss from Argentina, because Rodriguez looks set to return to his former club River Plate.
It gets better for West Ham and Potter, though.
TNT Sports Argentina and Estadio Deportivo claim River Plate willing to pay a fee – which will represent 100 per cent profit for West Ham in terms of PSR.
Better still talks are already under way and advancing quickly because River Plate want Rodriguez in the team before the FIFA Club World Cup next month.
They want to sign Rodriguez so he can play in the tournament, being hosted in the USA, where they will take on Urawa Red Diamonds, Inter Milan and Rayados de Monterrey in Group E.
As a result of the tournament, FIFA have essentially extended the summer window for all leagues to three months.
The window for international deals officially opens on June 1-10. It then closes for a six days before re-opening through to September.
Even if West Ham get a nominal fee for Rodriguez, who is said to be very keen to return to his old club, it all helps towards Potter’s summer kitty.
It will also remove Rodriguez’s reported £75k per week salary from the wage bill.
If Rodriguez does complete the deal in the next few weeks, he will be reunited with West Ham hero Manuel Lanzini back in his homeland.
The Hammers will need to sell a lot more and for bigger fees, but offloading deadwood like Rodriguez is a good start.
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