David Moyes has made an utterly ridiculous claim about Arsenal when asked the question all West Ham fans want the answer to.
West Ham’s drawn out sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal for a British record £105m has been one of the sagas of the summer transfer window.
Earlier this week Hammers News reported on the real reasons West Ham were furious with Arsenal for the delay in completing the Rice deal.
Chief among them was the fact it has stopped the Hammers making concrete bids for a host of targets lined up to replace the departing captain.
As reported on Tuesday, the Rice move to Arsenal was being held up by the north London club’s lawyers.
Hammers have sizeable rebuild on their hands but have spent the last month sat on them
Rice is set to leave a massive hole in West Ham’s midfield and dressing room while long-serving Manuel Lanzini has also been released.
The Hammers are short in key areas and there is speculation Gianluca Scamacca could leave too.
It was clear for most of last season that West Ham need to sign another forward – regardless of what happens with Scamacca. Doubts remain as to whether Danny Ings can still operate at the highest level.
Meanwhile Michail Antonio will turn 34 next season and his future is also unclear.
Reports claim two midfielders are being targeted to replace generational talent Rice while David Moyes is also being linked with strikers and centre-backs.
David Moyes makes utterly ridiculous claim about Arsenal when asked the question all West Ham fans want the answer to
Realistically the Hammers need new young, pacy, modern full-backs on both flanks too. But Moyes may feel he can get away with his current options for one more season if his budget doesn’t stretch that far.
Despite the clear need for a host of reinforcements and the appointment of Tim Steidten as technical director, West Ham are yet to make a single signing.
In fact following the arrival of Ashley Young at Everton, West Ham are one of just THREE Premier League clubs yet to sign a player this window.
So it is understandable fans are growing frustrated. And that frustration may turn to anger after the manager’s comments in his first press conference of pre-season.
Because Moyes has made an utterly ridiculous claim about Arsenal when asked the question all West Ham fans want the answer to.
Blaming Gunners for inability to plan for life after Rice is nothing short of ludicrous – we can only hope it’s a Moyes smokescreen
The Scot – who in fairness is known to play his cards close to his chest when it comes to discussing transfers publicly – has blamed Arsenal for hampering West Ham’s transfer window.
The West Ham boss says Arsenal delaying the Rice deal has prevented him planning his own transfers.
“Well until it’s done we can’t plan anything really,” Moyes said.
“So we’ll wait and see what happens, everybody knows the situation, we’re expecting something to happen. I don’t think we can replace Declan like-for-like that’s for sure. But we’ll add to the squad as time goes on. But we wouldn’t be giving you any names or any thoughts on what we were going to do.”
To suggest Arsenal have stopped West Ham PLANNING their transfers with the Rice delay is ludicrous.
We can only hope the manager is using that as a smokescreen. But, if so, then he is kidding nobody with that claim.
And if he is being serious then it borders on being negligible from the Hammers.
Because of course the club can plan for life after Rice. That’s what West Ham should have been doing for the last two years since it became known he would not be signing a new deal and that there was a private agreement in place for the captain to be sold in the summer of 2023.
Hammers boss mustn’t forget that without the Rice money West Ham would not have a summer budget if reports are to be believed
Moyes is also forgetting that – according to reports from those close to the board – without the mammoth Rice fee from Arsenal, West Ham would not have any money to spend on transfers this summer, let alone plan them.
It is one thing not being able to physically sign a player until the Rice money lands from the Gunners. That – with West Ham on UEFA’s FFP watchlist – is understandable.
But there is nothing to stop Moyes and West Ham having all their ducks lined up and plans A, B, C and D in place given the length of time this has been in the offing.
West Ham should have targets lined up, with an idea from agents and intermediaries as to whether those players would want to join and whether their clubs would sell – and at what price – so that the transfers can be done swiftly when Arsenal do send the first tranche of the Rice money.
You have to assume that in reality that is the case at West Ham. If it isn’t – and Moyes is being honest with his claim about the Arsenal delay hampering his plans – then that is seriously worrying indeed with the new season starting in just one month.
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