Earlier today, I outlined what I believed to be the ‘positives’ in West Ham signing N’Golo Kanté from Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League. My reasoning for separating the two thought processes is because I find myself undecided and sitting on the fence regarding this transfer.
Kanté’s qualities are numerous and well-documented, so while I do have the usual boyish excitement over West Ham being linked to such a quality player, I also have massive reservations.
Unlike some, my main concerns surrounding the transfer aren’t linked to the player’s wages. Clearly, if the Frenchman decides to leave Saudi Arabia, he has already accepted that he’ll earn less and one would presume is making a football decision rather than a financial one. In essence, if he does sign for West Ham we can afford it, and if his wages are too high, the transfer won’t happen, so there’s really nothing to worry about.
My bigger concern is paying out £20m for a player who could possibly deteriorate very quickly and leave West Ham with a problem position. No doubt Kanté leads a clean lifestyle and looks after himself, but once footballers reach their mid-30’s, the drop-off and decline can happen very quickly indeed.
There is also a worry that the Hammers appear to be reverting back to a very old, tried, tested, and failed transfers strategy. The purchase of Kanté is in stark contrast to Tim Steidten flying off to Brazil in order to sign the country’s most promising 18-year-old attacker.
Academy of Football or retirement home?
There is also the message this type of signing sends out to some of our hugely talented Academy graduates, two of whom are central midfielders. It may well be that learning and training alongside a World Cup winner is a massive benefit to their education. But it could equally be argued that Kanté’s signing could block their pathway to the first team.
I have little doubt that West Ham’s director of football now has a far bigger influence at West Ham, even including his involvement in which players sign scholarship contracts from the Academy. However, it would be difficult to suggest that Steidten is having a major influence on transfers if the latest three signings through the London Stadium doors were Max Kilman, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and N’Golo Kanté.
That is not to demand or besmirch the abilities of those players, each of whom would improve the first team and perhaps that’s all that counts. But one doesn’t need a scouting department and data analytics to highlight, sign, seal, and deliver established, well-known footballers.
On the playing side of things, there’s very little to dislike about Kanté. But, as a West Ham fan, I was just under the impression that the recruitment project and strategy were aimed towards reducing the age profile of the squad and building a young, vibrant team.
That being said, if N’Golo Kanté is the player Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui have decided is the key to unlocking the team’s potential, then who am I to argue?