West Ham Online

"The window is open for all clubs in Europe's top five leagues on Monday, January 1st 2024 and closes on Thursday 1 February 2024. In England, the window will close at 11pm (UK time) Players linked in Andr?© Trindade (MF) - Fluminense Jonathan Tah (CB) - Bayer Leverkusen Dan Axel-Zagadou (CB) - Stuttgart Serhou Guirassy (Str) - Stuttgart Akor Adams (Str) - Montpellier Hugo Ekitike (Str) - Paris Saint-Germain Ronnie Edwards (CB) - Peterborough Ian Maatsen (LB/LMF) - Chelsea Kyle Walker-Peters (RB) - Southampton Players signed Kalvin Phillips - Man City (Loan) Linked out Benrahma Kehrer - Monaco Ings - Southampton Cornet Nayef Aguerd Fornals Players confirmed out Kehrer - Monaco (Loan) Kriszti?°n Hegyi - FC Den Bosch(Loan) Gideon Kodua - Wycombe Wanderers (Loan) Conor Coventry - Charlton spacer"

Perhaps the “right” striker is not available and instead of signing any old front man they’d rather wait for the close season and someone more suitable becoming available.

It’s beyond belief we aren’t gonna sign a striker again.

"Imho one reason Kudus has been such a success is his strength protecting the ball. He cannot be knocked off it and in the Premiership that is key. Being able to pass and control and a bit of pace cones in handy too but one reason Fornals, Benrahma and recently Mubama struggle is their lack of lower and upper body strength. If Jota is lightweight and unable to shield tye ball, win or hold his own when in possession he could realky struggle. I guess our thinking is Jota being the Moyes pick and Osman being Steidtens? Or is Jota actually a gift from Sullivan via hus trusty okd agent Silkman? A hark back to the Arfur Dailly method for handling recruitment like Sully is used to. Proper market trader stuff :-( That said, it was Silkman who got us Paqueta. So he’s not a complete slimeball :-)"

"Bergwijn must be back in favour now, the prices for all these unproven muppets is ridiculous, at least get a bloke who has played in the league before and has a bit of pedigree. Far from the ideal signing but fuck me, what a fucking mess this has turned into."

"Usual January bollocks from Moyes and Sullivan. All January it's obvious we need a striker and a left back. What have we done? Signed a Championship level defensive midfielder on loan who has barely kicked a ball for the past 18 months. No striker, no left back, no clue. Still, they have managed to trim down a threadbare squad even further by getting rid of Kehrer, Coventry and probably Benhrama AND Fornals. The usual car crash of a transfer strategy."

"Stubbo: Jota more lightweight than Benrhama? FFS, we’re in trouble if that’s a fact."

This is Diddy Dave dicking everyone around for the next 48hrs. It’s how he gets his jolly’s when it comes to running the club. It won’t change until he sells up.

"Stubbo, I came to much the same conclusions after watching them both as well. Osman had great pace and strength but is definitely not ready for the PL yet. Looks a bit too raw for the asking price, given the level he's currently playing at. Jota looks quality but whether he can be prolific at this level, who knows? He's not played much for his Saudi club because they had too many foreigners so they didn't register him for their league games. I can see his club preferring to keep Benzema, Kante and Fabinho in the side above him but after spending £25m on him you'd think he must be better than the 5 other foreigners who got in ahead of him. Weirdly their manager seems to prefer playing CMs at LW instead. I think his name is Al-Moyesiah."

Apart from Moyes who cares?

What are both these wingers like at 'tracking back'?

"Having just scouted them both extensively (10 mins on Youtube) by synopsis is: Osman...quicker, more direct, stronger, raw...gonna do brilliant things and then fuck it up right at the end...but he's only 19 and has that thing you can't coach....extreme pace. Jota...quick over the first 5 yards and relies on it heavily as first touch often gets away from him. Slightly more 'tricky' Benrahma style, but more lightweight. More likely to get bullied by uncompromising defenders, but has enough pace to be a threat on the counter, and his finishing at this point in time is better. Don't think there's that much to choose between them. A try-before-you-buy loan for Jota and a perm for Osman, while shifting Fornals who wants out, and Benrahma who doesn't suit our style of play as he's not quick enough, probably the ideal situation. I doubt either of the two identified (but especially Jota) have much interest in tracking back and holding the shape...maybe Olsen slightly more so....Jota's highlights reel didn't show any clips of him breaking after wrestling back possession. But it sounds like Silkman is involved in the Jota deal, and no one the club 'has ties to' is involved in the Olsen deal. Says it all."

grasshopper 6:26 Mon Jan 29 I could always do what you do and post bollocks in the hope to get noticed? But I'm not that needy.

A left winger that Moyes has obviously seen at Celtic I guess. Two footed and hopefully can fit in with Bowen and Kudus to get loads of goals for us.

"Looks like it's on us too. Basically the player has one approved agent the Danish FA have ratified and whose contract with the player is fully confirmed, and then some dodgy Belgian has crawled out of the woodwork with they player claiming they're not represented by them with false paperwork and no claim on the player at all. The Danish FA have said the Belgian guy is a no mark chancer, but West Ham have apparently humoured him and continue to involve him in negotiations. Feeling is the player wants the move, the club wants the move, the Danish club want the move, and the ratified agent want the move. If West Ham told the Belgian to do one, it would all be unblocked but trying to find a solution that involves this chancer who has no legal right to any piece of the deal is what is causing the problem."

"Jota is 24 and has done fuck all of note other than his 2 seasons playing for one of the dominant teams who score goals for fun in the Scottish league. Whilst the 10 and 11 goals he scored in respective seasons in Scotland is a very decent return from a winger, whether or not he can get anywhere close to that kind of form in the PL remains to be seen"

"I'd be happy with Jota. Celtic mugs seem to stroke shaft over him, and he'd likely be ready for more involvement than Osman would be at this stage. Hoping that Benny and Fornals out could mean both come in though."

Lee Trundle 5:31 Mon Jan 29 It’s a good job no one takes any notice of what you think.

"Everything suggests its an agent fucking it up. I'd be passing on him, and moving on to other targets by now."

The Fat Man claiming it's Tottenhams fault the Osman deal ain't happening.

Wilson has goals in him but anyone who pays £18m for a player who turns 32 next month and will enter the last year of his contract next season is having their pants pulled down. Zero resale value and who knows how long he has until he picks up another injury. We are 4 years too late on this one

Wilson has goals in him but anyone who pays £18m for a player who turns 32 next month and will enter the last year of his contract next season is having their pants pulled down. Zero resale value and who knows how long he has until he picks up another injury. We are 4 years too late on this one

Jota has a magnificent head of hair - A real step up

"Wilson to join Phillips, just need to hold out for one more day. cսnt. Come on, a very soon to be 32 year old injury prone striker? This is West Ham FFS. Would be a fucking disaster."

"exile - Didn't we kind of want Johnson to stay but low balled him, must admit happy for him to stay on recent performances, Leeds apparently are close to getting him. Maybe 50/50 at this point."

"Is Calum Wilson too expensive at £18m, I would have thought a far better deal than Ings and he will score goals? Yet again we look like missing out on a striker, why did the poisoned dwarf bring Steidten in for goodness sake?"