A very surprising claim has emerged that West Ham have a £27m deal in place for a midfielder despite claims there’s no money left.
West Ham cemented their place in the Premier League’s top five spenders since 2022 with their summer splurge.
The Hammers sanctioned a transfer spend amounting to more than £155m on nine players.
That includes Jean-Clair Todibo’s £30m permanent transfer which is an obligation triggered five Premier League starts, payable at the end of the season.
West Ham’s window was deemed a huge success.
But the reality is technical director Tim Steidten and manager Julen Lopetegui look to have got the midfield and striker departments wrong.
West Ham’s midfield doesn’t function with Lopetegui struggling to settle on a combination that works between Lucas Paqueta, Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez, Tomas Soucek and Carlos Soler.
Match of the Day pundits highlighted that the midfield – and one player deemed particularly immobile – is the major issue.
West Ham’s midfield lacks dynamism, athleticism and guile. And the three-man striker pool, two of whom are out of contract in the summer, has a combined age of nearly 98.
Therefore money will have to be spent addressing those key issues in the coming windows.
But a top source at West Ham recently stated there isn’t much money left owing to strict PSR governance.
That means player sales will likely be needed to raise further funds.
And the possibility of using Lucas Paqueta to do just that may be taken out of the Hammers’ hands when a three-person panel decide his fate in March.
So there was a big surprise overnight when a new report emerged from a site close to the club’s majority owner.
A source close to David Sullivan made a major claim about a £27m deal West Ham have in place for a £240k per week star.
Sullivan source makes major claim about £27m West Ham deal
One player yet to prove he was worth signing is Spaniard Soler.
The Hammers got former Valencia star Soler on loan for the season from PSG.
Soler was very much a Lopetegui signing. He managed the midfielder when in charge of Spain.
On signing him the Hammers head coach said: “I think that Carlos Soler is a good player and he is going to help us, for sure.
“He is maybe at his best age, as he’s 27, he has international experience and is a very good player.
“He has a good profile for us as he can play in different positions and I think he is going to help us to be better.”
When the Soler deal was announced by West Ham and PSG, it was stated it is for a single season and there was no mention of an obligation or option to buy.
That disappointed many Hammers fans, who questioned the idea of having a player on loan with no end game or prospect of the deal becoming permanent. Especially after the club sanctioned the departure of James Ward-Prowse to Forest in a similar deal.
That kind of short-termism is frowned upon by supporters who want to see a coherent plan for the future.
Especially after Steidten and Lopetegui pledged to build a new-look team around young, exciting players.
Soler hinted he wants to stay at West Ham for many years but admitted he doesn’t know what the future holds.
Hammers do have option on £240k per week Soler
Hammers News exclusively revealed the real reason Soler only joined on loan.
The top spokesman inside the club said he is on £240k per week at PSG in a contract which runs until 2027.
That’s a lot of money in wages between now and then.
“Soler is on £240k a week at PSG,” the West Ham spokesman exclusively told Hammers News at the time.
“So it’s going to be hard to do a permanent deal.”
But in an exclusive overnight, Claret and Hugh confirmed Hammers News story from last month that there is ‘zero obligation’ to buy Soler.
However, quoting a top club source believed to be Sullivan, it does state that a £27m option is in place for West Ham to sign Soler permanently.
On limited evidence so far Soler does not look worth that.
Permanent deal for Spaniard looks highly unlikely
He appears lightweight and ineffective in the hustle and bustle of the Premier League.
Soler started against Man United but struggled badly and was hooked at half-time.
Of course he needs time to adapt to the best league in the world.
But there has been little for West Ham fans – or Lopetegui – to hang their hats on regarding what Soler brings to the side.
With the striker situation surely a top priority in the coming windows – given at least one if not two will need to be brought in – would West Ham really spend £27m on Soler.
The player himself would then also have to agree to forfeit millions in wages to fit into the club’s salary structure.
On that basis this looks like a permanent deal that will never happen. Certainly not at £27m.
Related Posts
