West Ham Monday Briefing: Friendly Fire, Striker Search and South Americans

Ferencvaros Friendly Fire

The culmination of a marathon day of football saw the conclusion of both the Euro 2024 and Copa America 2024 finals. Spanish flair saw them run out deserved winners against a plucky but passive England, while Argentina’s greater depth earned extra time victory over an unlucky but exhausted Colombia. Now we are able to fully focus once again on the deluge of transfer chatter for the upcoming domestic football season.

It’s now less than five weeks to the big kick-off as clubs await the return of their international stars and jostle for position to bring new players in through the doors, and farm the old ones out. In what had been promoted as a busy transfer window at West Ham has yet to get out of second gear despite the huge overhaul needed to rebuild the squad. Now they prepare for tonight’s opening friendly against Ferencvaros in Austria.

The Hungarian champions are one of teams I recall from my youth competing in the European Cup. A time when it was a proper knock-out competition rather than the money-making circus it has become today. Along with the likes of Dukla Prague and Red Star Belgrade they featured regularly in repeated Subbuteo simulations.

Early season friendlies such as this are little more than a chance to stretch the legs, and will feature only a handful of next season’s first team squad. Potentially there will be a first glimpse of Max Kilman and Luis Guilherme in a Hammer’s shirt, plus an opportunity for several youth players to showcase their abilities. It may also provide clues on the future of Flynn Downes and whether he has a future at the club following his shameful shunning by the Scottish manager. In the scheme of things, Julen Lopetegui will be learning more about the character of the players on the training ground than in matches like these. Kick-off is at 3 pm BST.    

Transfer Chatter Update

It’s been another quiet week on the transfer rumour front with only six new names added to the West Ham target list. The list now totals 117 players and with rumour resources becoming stretched, speculation has resorted to stories that West Ham are rekindling interest in those named earlier in the window. There are many of them to go around. The major rekindling of the week has been Steven Bergwijn who is a big “No” from me, simply because of his past life in N17.

The noisiest rumours in the past seven days have surrounded Juventus centre back Federico Gatti – reported to be the target of a host of clubs – and the ongoing two-horse right back race between Kyle Walker-Peters and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. If that is the extent of our choice, then I would take Wan-Bissaka every time for his far superior defensive attributes.

There was also a first sighting in this window of a player issuing a “come and get me” plea to the Hammers. In this case it is Jean-Clair Todibo of Nice who has a hankering for London’s east-end. The defining factor for who ends up as Kilman’s central defensive partner(s) will, no doubt, be determined by the ultimate size of the budget. After all, we have yet to see any movement for that most expensive and elusive of characters, the striker.

Ullo Jhon! Gotta A New Striker

The persistent striker link of the last few weeks has been Jhon Duran from Aston Villa. The Colombian is supposedly something of a hothead who is unhappy with living in the shadow of Harry Kane’s England deputy, Ollie Watkins.

Still only 20 years old, Duran is an exciting prospect but with limited top level experience. He was in the Colombian squad at Copa America but spent the entire tournament on the bench. It feels like a big risk to put all your trust in an untested striker although, thankfully, the people responsible for making decisions know far more than me. The same applies to David Datro Fofana from Chelsea who looked very sharp when playing on-loan for Burnley against the Hammers last March. Presumably he would be happier to play as second fiddle to a more experienced striker than Duran would. It seems everyone should have a Fofana in their squad these days – like it was trendy to have a Dembele a few years back, and a Cisse before that.

The Ivan Toney situation is one to keep an eye on as the number of potential suitors steadily fades away. In the last year of his contract, Brentford will be keen to cash in – especially as they signed Igor Thiago from Club Brugge as a replacement in January – but will be aware that only a small number of clubs will be able to come close to their valuation. With West Ham preferring initial low-ball offers, any deal has to be many weeks away. He would still be my first choice though.

The search for a striker promises to have and extended run up until the close of the window. Some of the names mentioned are exciting, others fill me with dread – nailed on inductees into the West Ham striker hall of shame. Please let it not be Kelechi Iheanacho.

Paqueta And Other South Americans

The future of Lucas Paqueta remains up in the air. And will stay there until uncertainty is lifted on the charges made against him by the English Football Association. This may yet take many months. I struggle to see any benefit for West Ham in sending him out on loan or selling him at a knock-down price to one of the clubs in his native homeland. The only logical conclusion is that he will be a part of Lopetegui’s squad for as long as it takes for the investigation to conclude.

The boys from Brazil were hugely disappointing in the Copa America. Surprising when there is so much focus on their young talent that their performances were so workmanlike. Paqueta was one of many in the Brazil side who struggled to impress as they increasingly resorted to long balls during their quarter final elimination by Uruguay. He looked a far cry from the player that Manchesetr City were allegedly prepared to pay £85 million for.

Elsewhere, in the tournament several of the Colombian players caught the eye. The other Jhon linked with a move to West Ham, Jhon Arias, was a regular starter throughout the competition. Not as reported a winger, but part of a midfield three. His game was more about working hard than flair and did not impress as a potential Premier League player.

The Colombian who did stand out for me was Richard Rios who currently plays in Brazil for Palmeiras. He is a central midfielder who looks good in transition, loves a dribble and possesses a goal threat.

Our old friend Enner Valencia (now 34 years old) was captaining Ecuador who were elimintaed on penalties to Argentina in the semi-final. Sent of in the first group game, he missed a penalty in normal time against Argentina in a game that Ecuador were very unfortunate to lose.