West Ham United could be really shown up by Chelsea in the January transfer window it seems.
Graham Potter, formerly of Chelsea of course, has some serious work to do at West Ham, if he is to get us back on track.
The January window will be key for Potter, and he has already admitted that he’s keen to make some new signings this month.
Julen Lopetegui’s six-month spell at the London Stadium in charge of the Hammers was an incredibly destructive one.
I’m delighted that the West Ham owners realised they had made a huge error by appointing him in the first place.
However, the fact that they persisted with him for three months too long has really set us back – the Spaniard should have been sacked in October after our defeat to Tottenham.
Now Potter has been tasked with rebuilding the club from top to bottom.
The problem with our recent recruitment and certain poor decisions in the market is that the new Hammers head coach is now right behind the eight ball when it comes to making some top-class signings.
West Ham wakeup call as Chelsea eye £59m January window deal
Well all know how desperate we are for some new arrivals at the London Stadium this month.
Our need for a new striker and a powerful box-to-box central midfielder.
However, the Hammers’ weakness in the centre-back department has gone under the radar it seems.
And now Chelsea could bet set to make everyone at the London Stadium very jealous indeed.
Sport Bild claim that Chelsea are lining up a £59 million bid for Piero Hincapie of Bayer Leverkusen this winter.
If the Blues manage to sign the Ecuadorian, it will serve as a big wake-up call for the Hammers.
West Ham were first linked with a move to sign Hincapie back in May 2023.
Then in January 2024, the Hammers went back in for the 23-year-old centre-back – a player who can also operate as a left-back.
However, our hopes of signing him now are all but dead. We should have pushed harder for his signature last year when we actually had a chance of bringing him to the London Stadium.
His agent once described him as a ‘warrior’ (Caughtoffside), and he certainly has the attributes needed to succeed in the Premier League.
Piero Hincapie a star of the future
In 18 Bundesliga appearances this season, Hincapie has averaged 1.5 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 2.2 clearances and 1.4 successful aerial duels per game.
During those appearances, the Ecuadorian has made 66 passes on average per match and has recorded a completion rate of 90.4% (Who Scored).
The Ecuador international is an elite defender. He’s strong in the air, quick along the ground and exceptionally gifted with the ball at his feet.
West Ham won’t have a chance of signing Piero Hincapie now though, with Chelsea eyeing up a £59 million bid for him in the January transfer window.
If Chelsea do sign the 23-year-old, it should serve as a big wake-up call for the West Ham owners.
Sometimes it’s better to splash out on talented young stars before they become so well known.
You may get a couple wrong but every now and again you will hit the jackpot.
Piero Hincapie joining Chelsea in January will be a painful reminder for the West Ham fans of just how far off we are from competing with the big clubs due to poor transfer decisions in the past.
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