West Ham Online

May as well get going with this since with Sullivan at the helm, season ticket renewals slow, and the football vacuum to commence, this will soon be all the "news" there is.

Can Potter and MacCauley pull multiple rabbits out of the hat, or will Sullivan 'try really hard' with all of them before grabbing a few aging bargains from Big Willie Salthouse?

Window this close season comes in two parts:

Part 1: 1st June to 10th June
Part 2: 16th June to 1st September

Rumoured Outs...most of the squad

Let the "Rumoured In's" commence. 

------------------------------------------------------------

Player | Position | Club | Fee (GBP)

Rumoured In

1. Daniel Cummings | ST | Celtic
2. Koni De Winter | CB | Genoa
3. Morten Frendrup | DM | Genoa
4. Richard Kone | ST | Wycombe
5. Aaron Ramsdale | GK | Southampton
6. Caiomin Kelleher | GK | Liverpool
7. James Trafford | GK | Burnley
8. Kyle Walker-Peters | FB | Free Agent
9. Taylor Harwood-Bellis | CB | Southampton
10. CJ Egan-Riley | CB | Free Agent
11. Josh Brownhill | CM | Free Agent
12. Albian Hajdari | CB | Lugano
13. Lucas Høgsberg | CB | FC Nordsjælland
14. Ardon Jashari | CM | Brugge
15. Raphael Onyedika | CM | Brugge
16. James McAtee | AM | Man City
17. Mario Struykens | AM | Anderlecht
18. Mathias Kvistgaarden | ST | Brondby
19. Clement Bischoff | LB | Brondby
20. Mika Biereth | FW | Monaco
21. Barış Alper Yılmaz | AM | Galatasaray
22. Evann Guessand | ST | Nice
23. Lucas Stassin | ST | Saint Etienne
24. Marcus Taverner | FW | Bournemouth
25. Soungoutoo Magassa | CDM | Monaco
26. Valentin Atangana | CM | Stade Reims
27. Mads Hermansen | GK | Leicester City
28. Hamza Igamane | ST | Rangers
29. Yeremay | FW | Deportivo La Coruna
30. Adama Bojang | ST | Reims
31. Rocco Reitz | MF | Borussia Moenchengladbach
32. Dominic Calvert-Lewin | ST | Free Agent
33. El Hadji Malick Diouf | LB | SK Slavia Prague
34. Oscar Mingueza | RB/MF | Celta Vigo
35. Tyler Morton | CM | Liverpool
36. Harvey Elliott | AM | Liverpool
37. Zion Suzuki | GK | Parma
38. John Victor | GK | Botofogo 
39. Jacob Ramsey | MF | Villa
40. Mateus Fernandes | CM | Southampton
41. Nga Makou | CM | Lille
42. Quinten Timber | CM
43. Hayden Hackney | CM | Boro
44. Yves Bissouma | CM | Spurs

Rumoured Out

1. Nayef Aguerd | CB | Leverkusen, Marseile
2. Maxel Cornet | FW | Genoa/Others
3. Guido Rodriguez | DM | Betis/Espanyol
4. Tomas Soucek | CM | Everton
5. Michail Antonio | ST | Free Agent
6. Mo Kudus | FW | Chelsea/Newcastle/Arsenal
7. Lucas Paqueta | AM | Man City
8. Andy Irving | CM | Celtic/Wrexham
9. Emerson | LB | Marseille

Confirmed In

1. Jean Clair Todibo | CB | Loan To Perm (32m)
2. Daniel Cummings | ST | Celtic (Free Agent...Tribunal)
3. El Hadji Malick Diouf | LWB | Slavia Prahia | 20m
4. Kyle Walker-Peters | RWB | Free Agent
5. C****m Wilson | ST | Free Agent
6. Mads Hermansen | GK | Leicester (18m)
7. Mateus Fernandes | CM | Southampton (38m + 4m)
8. Soungoutoo Magassa | CDM | Monaco (17m)
9. Igor Julio | CB | Brighton (Loan)

Confirmed Out

1. Aaron Cresswell | LB | Free Agent | 0m
2. Danny Ings | ST | Free Agent | 0m
3. Vladimir Coufal | RB | Free Agent | 0m
4. Lukusz Fabianski | GK | Free Agent | 0m
5. Kamari Swyer | AM | Free Agent | 0m
6. Kurt Zouma | CB | Free Agent | 0m
7. Carlos Soler | CM | PSG | End of Loan
8. Evan Ferguson | ST | Brighton | End of Loan
9. Brad Dolaghan | Released
10. Dondre Abraham | Released
11. Mehmet Halim | Released
12. Muhammed Judus |stroppy| sp*rs| £55m
13. Michail Antonio | Released
14. Kieran Casey | Swansea | Loan
15. Edson Alvarez | Fenerbache | Loan with Option
16. Emerson | Marseille | £1m
17. Aguerd | Marseille | £20m
18. Max Cornet | Genoa | Loan

Antonio is starting for the U21's which is about to kick off.

You just know we'll end up signing him.

They gambled and it paid off when they came up. Their chairman may be a bit of a dodgy fucker but he's absolutely backing their manager, wherever the money is actually coming from. They have now built a very solid squad fairly quickly by guess what- buying young players with potential who will mostly be sold for a huge profit.

Why can everyone else aside from our owner see that it's what is working on the pitch and financially at the moment? 

ragingbull wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 18:28 Cunts at Forest are smashing the transfer window.

Cunts at Forest are smashing the transfer window.

Jean-Luc Paul Goddard" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 17:39

Lato wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 15:18  
Brazilian gets MOTM shocker against England, hmmm......whatever next? Funny he hasn't represented his Country since June last year.............can't think why? 

Paqueta has played for Brazil 7 times since June last year. He only got dropped in for their games in March and June this year, while the hearing into the false allegations against him took place.

Hope that helps.

Lato wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 15:18  
I didn't say he wasn't I said you can't judge a player because he didn't play well against us, Bowen was poor against Sunderland therefore they shouldn't sign him by your logic... 

Then again you could have watched Paqueta be motm against England for Brazil so then you can sign him, your logic is flawed. Lots of world class players have had bad games against us so according to you we should never sign them. 

I think most of us (obviously not you ) can forgive Bowen for one poor game in a blue moon. Mind you what service did he get against Sunderland?

Brazilian gets MOTM shocker against England, hmmm......whatever next? Funny he hasn't represented his Country since June last year.............can't think why? 

Lato wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 15:18  
Brazilian gets MOTM shocker against England, hmmm......whatever next? Funny he hasn't represented his Country since June last year.............can't think why? 

Russ of the BML" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 16:13

Pshyco scored all 4" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 15:22 The potless dwarf must be laughing his bollox off . The whole fanbase are arguing amongst ourselves.. surely we're all united that he needs to fuck off pronto . Concentrate on him and it will soon improve. 

I disagree. The whole fanbase is not arguing amongst themselves. Debating about the best way forward yes, but arguing, no. In fact, I think the fanbase is more united now than ever before:

Sullivan is the fundamental problem and has to go
Brady is the fundamental problem and has to go
Potter is useless and has to go

I mean, bar a few people who are still saying Potter needs more time, I think we are all pretty much on the same page. 

I am hoping that Potter is employing this 5 at the back formation solely to compensate for the appalling lack of pace, “legs”, strength, athleticism across all the central midfielders of the squad.  I dont think that was his “go to” formation at Brighton or Chelsea? He was a “3-box-3” or 4-3-3 as most teams that play the Pep inspired “controlled possession” game tend to do. These formations change when in and out of possession but I dont recall him using this 5-3-2 approach as his defailt elsewhere? He is usually flexible but at West Ham, he inherited a group of central midfielders who all were incredibly slow and lack physicality and stamina ( exception maybe Alvarez on a good day ).

What we dont know is the way we have approached transfers. Is there a aeries if steps ( Potter/ Macaulay identify targets, prioritise areas, hand to Sullivan, offers go in, negotiations, deal). Sullivan myst have held back waiting for Kudus. But did he or Potter say left back and keeper first? Doubt it. Imagine priorities were simply based on availability and price. So we get left back, keeper and Kudus cash is gone. Sullivan then starts on centre mid but holding off until we can sell but no offers?  Time ticks by and he has to finally move for Fermandes and probably waiting as long as possible to save wages for a new guy but helped by the fact Potter was on a pre season tour in the states.

History and intuition points to Sullivan being umwilling to risk anymore investment. You can understand because we are awful at recruitmemt and he knows it.  He of course thinks its everyone else’s fault but his or at least tries his best to make it look like that. 
 

Pshyco scored all 4" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 15:22 The potless dwarf must be laughing his bollox off . The whole fanbase are arguing amongst ourselves.. surely we're all united that he needs to fuck off pronto . Concentrate on him and it will soon improve. 

Basically, we have a LOT of players on big money who probably aren't most people's idea of a current first-teamer - and we'll struggle to move them: Areola, Kilman, Aguerd, Mav, Alvarez, Rodriguez, Soucek, JWP, Cornet. Add a couple of regular crocks upfront, a couple of injured young wingers (who we've barely seen in claret and blue), and it's not great. Potter doesn't even use wingers, so it's hard to know what he'll do with Summerville and Guilherme when they do come back. Even the supposed Brazilian maestro in midfield seems like he stopped bothering after his dream move collapsed - and he's struggling to get going again, despite his reprieve.

It's a shitshow: the end result of years in which a poor chairman appointed poor managers who bought poor players (or had them forced on him!).

Pshyco scored all 4" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 15:22 The potless dwarf must be laughing his bollox off . The whole fanbase are arguing amongst ourselves.. surely we're all united that he needs to fuck off pronto . Concentrate on him and it will soon improve. 

 

And don't tell me he can take flak . He can't . the Birmingham city supporters showed how to get him out . 

The potless dwarf must be laughing his bollox off . The whole fanbase are arguing amongst ourselves.. surely we're all united that he needs to fuck off pronto . Concentrate on him and it will soon improve. 

 
I didn't say he wasn't I said you can't judge a player because he didn't play well against us, Bowen was poor against Sunderland therefore they shouldn't sign him by your logic... 

Then again you could have watched Paqueta be motm against England for Brazil so then you can sign him, your logic is flawed. Lots of world class players have had bad games against us so according to you we should never sign them. 

I think most of us (obviously not you ) can forgive Bowen for one poor game in a blue moon. Mind you what service did he get against Sunderland?

Brazilian gets MOTM shocker against England, hmmm......whatever next? Funny he hasn't represented his Country since June last year.............can't think why? 

I like the full-backs/wing-backs, generally speaking. AWB, Diouf, Emerson (yep, he's better than many give him credit for) and Scarles as a younger back-up are a decent crop. Have some doubts about KWP, but prepared to give him a chance as back-up to AWB.

I agree. We're just really poor at centre back, whichever duo or trio we play there.

Todibo aside (and he hasn't covered himself in glory yet), I think they're all below-average players by Premier League standards, and with limited potential or ceilings, or whatever you want to call it.

Aguerd is a decent/good player in less physical leagues. But whether he likes it or not, the Premier League is still fast and furious and we've seen him struggle with its weekly intensity and power. Teams target him (and others) at set pieces and with physicality - the Sunderland lump said as much after the game on Saturday when he talked about how we had "well known weaknesses".

Mav and Kilman are just below average/bottom half players, I'm afraid. Todibo has potential, clearly, and looks like he could, with the right coaching, be half of any solution. But he needs to get fully fit, get fully committed and improve his consistency.

As with midfield, we've got a lot of money invested in bang average, or worse, players on big wages. That's our BIG problem - who will buy them and why would they leave when they won't get more in wages elsewhere?

twoleftfeet wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:52

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:35

twoleftfeet wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:20

So are you advocating a 4-4-2 system?

Have KWP and Scarles as full backs with AWB and Diouf in front of them as “ wingers “ ? 

 

4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 would be my preferred formations when all are fit. I'd play Paqueta in Summervilles absence for now but it would look like this..

     Hermansen 

Wan-bissaka Todibo Kilman Diouf

       Soucek Potts Paqueta 

       Bowen Fullkrug Summerville

It just feels to me like he's overcomplicating it needlessly, or maybe because that's just his preferred style, however I don't think the players are getting it or like playing how he wants them to. 

Todibo and Kilman would scare the shit out of me.

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:35

twoleftfeet wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:20

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:15 I'm not so convinced that all our Defenders are dogshit. We play with 5 at the back that includes the impressive Wan-Bissaka and now Diouf and yet even with 5 at the back we still concede 3 with ease and could have been more. Take Aguerd who after a season away from us was widely praised for his form at Real Sociedad/Morocco where even Real Madrid were sniffing and he did help us to win a Trophy. Yet we produce that on the weekend where they all looked toilet. 5 at the back and that happens against a newly promoted side for fuck sake. 

What that tells me is it's more down to the Manager than our entire Defence being shit and the way he sets the Team up. 5 at the back doesn't suit our Team, yet he stubbornly persists with it.

So are you advocating a 4-4-2 system?

Have KWP and Scarles as full backs with AWB and Diouf in front of them as “ wingers “ ? 

 

4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 would be my preferred formations when all are fit. I'd play Paqueta in Summervilles absence for now but it would look like this..

     Hermansen 

Wan-bissaka Todibo Kilman Diouf

       Soucek Potts Paqueta 

       Bowen Fullkrug Summerville

It just feels to me like he's overcomplicating it needlessly, or maybe because that's just his preferred style, however I don't think the players are getting it or like playing how he wants them to. 

Pub Bigot" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:47

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:35

twoleftfeet wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:20

So are you advocating a 4-4-2 system?

Have KWP and Scarles as full backs with AWB and Diouf in front of them as “ wingers “ ? 

 

4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 would be my preferred formations when all are fit. I'd play Paqueta in Summervilles absence for now but it would look like this..

     Hermansen 

Wan-bissaka Todibo Kilman Diouf

       Soucek Potts Paqueta 

       Bowen Fullkrug Summerville

It just feels to me like he's overcomplicating it needlessly, or maybe because that's just his preferred style, however I don't think the players are getting it or like playing how he wants them to. 

I’d bench Kilman for Aguerd. Maxi’s been dreadful. 

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:35

twoleftfeet wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:20

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:15 I'm not so convinced that all our Defenders are dogshit. We play with 5 at the back that includes the impressive Wan-Bissaka and now Diouf and yet even with 5 at the back we still concede 3 with ease and could have been more. Take Aguerd who after a season away from us was widely praised for his form at Real Sociedad/Morocco where even Real Madrid were sniffing and he did help us to win a Trophy. Yet we produce that on the weekend where they all looked toilet. 5 at the back and that happens against a newly promoted side for fuck sake. 

What that tells me is it's more down to the Manager than our entire Defence being shit and the way he sets the Team up. 5 at the back doesn't suit our Team, yet he stubbornly persists with it.

So are you advocating a 4-4-2 system?

Have KWP and Scarles as full backs with AWB and Diouf in front of them as “ wingers “ ? 

 

4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 would be my preferred formations when all are fit. I'd play Paqueta in Summervilles absence for now but it would look like this..

     Hermansen 

Wan-bissaka Todibo Kilman Diouf

       Soucek Potts Paqueta 

       Bowen Fullkrug Summerville

It just feels to me like he's overcomplicating it needlessly, or maybe because that's just his preferred style, however I don't think the players are getting it or like playing how he wants them to. 

scott_d wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:28

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 11:56

Jean-Luc Paul Goddard" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 11:48

The thing is, our 3 CBs are all poor for various reasons, but they also fit the profile that Potter would want anyway as his whole focus is on possession, and as bad as they are defensively, Todibo, Kilman and Aguerd are all better at passing the ball and playing out from the back than most of the defenders we've had over the years.

Then you have the whole thing about Bowen being our only goal threat because he creates his own chances. Again, a lot of this is down to how the manager wants to play. He's not interested in midfielders who can make an incisive pass to quickly put an attacker in on goal. He wants them to keep possession above all else.

This is why I don't see us improving much even if Potter was given full control over all transfers in and out and a reasonable budget to spend. The way he wants to play only works if you have the very best players at your disposal and we'll never have the budget for that.

 

The Bowen thing has applied under all three managers he's played for. He's the only consistent goalscorer we've had for 4-5 years. 

 

I would go as far as saying for the last 20 years, since Jermaine Defoe.

.

 

twoleftfeet wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:20

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 14:15 I'm not so convinced that all our Defenders are dogshit. We play with 5 at the back that includes the impressive Wan-Bissaka and now Diouf and yet even with 5 at the back we still concede 3 with ease and could have been more. Take Aguerd who after a season away from us was widely praised for his form at Real Sociedad/Morocco where even Real Madrid were sniffing and he did help us to win a Trophy. Yet we produce that on the weekend where they all looked toilet. 5 at the back and that happens against a newly promoted side for fuck sake. 

What that tells me is it's more down to the Manager than our entire Defence being shit and the way he sets the Team up. 5 at the back doesn't suit our Team, yet he stubbornly persists with it.

So are you advocating a 4-4-2 system?

Have KWP and Scarles as full backs with AWB and Diouf in front of them as “ wingers “ ? 

  

It just feels to me like he's overcomplicating it needlessly, or maybe because that's just his preferred style, however I don't think the players are getting it or like playing how he wants them to. 

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 11:56

Jean-Luc Paul Goddard" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 11:48

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑18 Aug 2025, 10:59


 

The thing is, our 3 CBs are all poor for various reasons, but they also fit the profile that Potter would want anyway as his whole focus is on possession, and as bad as they are defensively, Todibo, Kilman and Aguerd are all better at passing the ball and playing out from the back than most of the defenders we've had over the years.

Then you have the whole thing about Bowen being our only goal threat because he creates his own chances. Again, a lot of this is down to how the manager wants to play. He's not interested in midfielders who can make an incisive pass to quickly put an attacker in on goal. He wants them to keep possession above all else.

This is why I don't see us improving much even if Potter was given full control over all transfers in and out and a reasonable budget to spend. The way he wants to play only works if you have the very best players at your disposal and we'll never have the budget for that.

 

The Bowen thing has applied under all three managers he's played for. He's the only consistent goalscorer we've had for 4-5 years. 

 

Signings in the last 24hrs: from 2 clubs that seem well run and getting business done in a timely manner, identifying players then getting them, both are leaving us behind, what have we done this window?  

Doak from Liverpool to Bournemouth: 20+5m
Omari Hutchinson From Ipswich to Forest: 37.5m
Arnaud Kalimuendo from Rennes to Forest: 26m