West Ham’s £335m handicap has become clear as we look at every deal done by our survival rivals in an unprecedented transfer spree.
Danny Ings was West Ham’s only first team signing in the January transfer window.
Meanwhile six of West Ham’s seven direct Premier League relegation rivals were seriously active in the window, signing a host of talented players in the battle to beat the drop.
Leeds, Wolves, Forest, Leicester, Southampton and Bournemouth signed a multitude of players before the deadline to the tune of £350m. It is fair to say they are going for it to avoid being one of the three teams that drops into the Championship.
West Ham and David Moyes meanwhile have chosen to stick rather than twist in terms of incomings. Although they have strengthened a direct rival with the sale of Craig Dawson to Wolves while Darren Randolph was allowed to join Bournemouth and Harrison Ashby was sold to Newcastle.
Many have accused Moyes and West Ham of fiddling while Rome burns during the window.
On the other hand there may be something to be said come what May for Moyes keeping his head while all those around him are losing theirs. Time will tell.
What is indisputable is that there has been a clear contrast in strategy between the Hammers and those clubs mentioned above. And only Everton signed less players than West Ham.
West Ham’s £335m handicap becomes clear as we look at every deal done by our survival rivals in an unprecedented transfer spree.
We know the Hammers paid around £15m to bring in striker Ings.
Meanwhile Everton made no signings and sold key player Antony Gordon to Newcastle.
So let’s focus on West Ham’s six relegation rivals who did plenty of business with Leeds, Saints, Bournemouth, Forest, Leicester and Wolves bringing in a whopping 30 players between them for a grand total of £350m.
West Ham’s £335m handicap – every deal done by survival rivals in unprecedented transfer spree
Leeds January signings
Georginio Rutter (Hoffenheim) £35m
Weston McKennie (Juventus) £1.2m loan with option to buy
Diogo Monteiro (Servette) £1m
Max Wober (RB Salzburg) £11m
Total: £48.2m
Leicester January signings
Victor Kristiansen (FC Copenhagen) £17m
Harry Souttar (Stoke) £15m
Nathan Opoku (Field Masters Sporting Club) Undisclosed (est £10m)
Tete (Shakhtar Dontesk) Nominal loan fee (est £1m)
Total £43m (est)
Nottingham Forest January signings
Danilo (Palmeiras) £16m
Felipe (Atletico Madrid) £1.9m
Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle) Undisclosed (est £8m)
Gustavo Scarpa (Palmeiras) Free
Keylor Navas (Paris Saint-Germain) £2m loan (wages)
Chris Wood (Newcastle) Loan with £15m obligation
Total: £43m
Southampton January signings
Kamaldeen Sulemana (Rennes) £25m
Paul Onuachu (Genk) £18m
Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb) £8m
Carlos Alcaraz (Racing Club) £12.6m
James Bree (Luton) Undisclosed (est £750k)
Total: £64.3m
Wolves January signings
Matheus Cunha (Atletico Madrid) £43m
Joao Gomes (Flamengo) £15m
Craig Dawson (West Ham) £3.3m
Pablo Sarabia (Paris Saint-Germain) £4.4m
Mario Lemina (Nice) £9m
Total: £74.7m
Bournemouth January signings
Illia Zabarnyi (Dynamo Kiev) £24m
Dango Ouattara (Lorient) £20m
Antoine Semenyo (Bristol City) £10.5m
Darren Randolph (West Ham) Undisclosed (est £1.5m)
Matias Vina (Roma) £750k loan
Hamed Traore (Sassuolo) Loan with £20m obligation
Total: £76.75m