West Ham United may well have made a big transfer mistake in the summer window.
Julen Lopetegui made some brilliant signings for West Ham in the summer, but alongisde all the hits, there might have been one big miss.
The West Ham head coach was extremely ruthless and efficient in his summer transfer business, with nine new players arriving at the London Stadium.
Meanwhile, 12 players left the club in total, including a whole host of releases and loan exits.
It really was a huge squad overhaul – one that is rarely seen in the modern era, but we’re definitely stronger as a result.
Lopetegui made plenty of top-class signings and pretty much every single player he moved on had done positive nothing for us over the past six months or so.
However, there are being questions asked of the Spaniard as to whether he made one big mistake.
Did West Ham make a big Flynn Downes mistake
The Hammers sold Flynn Downes to Southampton for around £18 million in the summer transfer window (Evening Standard).
At the time, it seemed like good business from West Ham – a £6 million profit in just 12 months is good work in any field.
However, could it be argued that the Hammers should actually have kept hold of the former Swansea City midfielder?
He has certainly made a very solid start with his new club Southampton, as far as his stats go at least.
In three Premier League appearances for Southampton so far this season, Downes has averaged three tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 1.3 clearances, one dribble and 2.3 key passes per game.
During those outings, he has made 66.7 passes per game and has recorded a mightily impressive completion rate of 91% (Who Scored).
Downes is playing a key role for the Saints in the heart of their engine room, and he has been one of the standout performers for them during their tough start to the Premier League season.
However, I will say that the £18 million that we were offered for him was simply too good to turn down.
Lopetegui has gone out and replaced him at West Ham by signing Guido Rodriguez on a free transfer – a player who’s superior to Flynn Downes in every way.
In conclusion, I think the Hammers were right to sell Downes, in spite of his impressive start with Southampton.
However, it will be interesting to see whether my opinion changes on the matter at the end of the season.
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