Cheik Kouyate - a fond farewell (joins Crystal Palace on four-year deal)

edited August 2018 in Completed Transfers
This discussion was created from comments split from: The Transfer Window 2: Electric Boogaloo.

A message from the man on his Insta:
roilionpapis8 With a grateful heart I share the feelings with you on this last day of my work today. Thank you West Ham United for helping me become a more experienced player.
Working with you for the last 4years was such a blessing. This is a club that inspired me a lot in so many ways. I have learned the real essence of working and hardship. Today, we separate to different paths but even though physically we depart, we are together in hearts. From the bottom of my heart, i want to say thank you to my teammates, to the staffs and a grateful regards to the fans. I really enjoyed working with you all. I hope you will achieve all your dreams as you go. #Alhamdoulilaforeverything
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Comments

  • He's gone
  • Disappointing.
  • Good luck to him

    May regret this but im not really upset about this
  • He was an important player for us in the past. Played out of position after and sort of lost his mojo. Good luck to him. Not unhappy with the sale although in these heady transfer days I think they got him a bit on the cheap side
  • edited August 2018
    An absolute joke of a price IMO - that’s not much more than what we paid for him before the crazy transfer prices set in? I thought sully was well known for haggling?? Let’s not forget he clocked up 30 plus PL games in each season for us

    ;hmm
  • edited August 2018
    from memory I think we paid 5M which, at the time, was a steal I thought.

    I've nothing against him but do think he'd only be a squad player for us from now on
  • edited August 2018
    A player in decline and a sub at best for us this season. Think it's the right decision by the club.

    So, for the last time, I get to post one of my favourite Tweets of all time. Fare you well, Cheik.

    Screenshot_2015-09-09-22-17-25_1
  • A sellable asset which we could improve but yes when it comes to selling players it seems we almost are willing to take peanuts..
  • Good move for both parties. I liked him. Seemed a good personality etc. But I just think his time here has gone stale and he needed the buzz of a new challenge. £10m is quite low but you have to look at what he does. I doubt you could’ve got much more for a CM who struggled at a lot of things you’d expect of a CM.
  • edited August 2018
    Nailed on he is going to do a Diame and score against us
  • Did not Diame get relegated with Newcastle . Kouyate I wish him well apart from when he plays against us I don’t think he is technically good enough for Pellegrini hopefully we can get a proper dm now
  • Wasn't he on c.£50k a week? Frees up some wages so the transfer price isn't so bad. Liked him a lot but he wasn't at the races for the last season or so. Good luck to him.
  • edited August 2018
    It is important we use the money to bring in an improved player in his position. If we are leaving our midfield as it is, that leaves us one injury or suspension away (& remember we've got Wilshere) from Cullen being the next in line to come into the side. Not to mention Pelle is going to want bench options to bring on during games when we are running on empty after an hour/70 mins. It is more important than ever we don't leave ourselves short in any areas because once that window shuts, you don't get three weeks to realise 'that signing was not a good one' or to replace 'that player who picked up the long term injury on the opening day'. It'll be a long wait until Jan.

    As herb says though, for the money he's on compared to what he offers, I think it was sensible to sell.
  • I thought Cheik was an important part of the squad, off the pitch as well as on it. I'm slightly worried that the team will have no clear leaders who buy into the fabled West Ham Way. It takes the edge off my anticipation for the new season. Slightly. Anyway, I hope he does well at Palace, because he was a helpful, honest bloke who always gave 100%, and that's what I think footballers should all be like.
  • What I don’t get is that some deem Noble to be the first (midfield) name on the team sheet, yet deem cheikh dispensable. Over the last two seasons purely in terms of quality of performances I’ve personally not noticed a huge difference between the two
  • edited August 2018
    Baracks, the difference between Noble and Cheik, for me at least, was that Noble never stopped trying. There were games last season that literally passed Cheik by and his tracking back was appalling. He appeared to have lost interest in fighting for the club, whereas that's something you can never level at Noble (although he did take it too far during the Burnley game... ;whistle )

    Kuching, I personally don't think Cheik was ever a leader or particularly bought into the 'West Ham Way' (see my comments above). Liked the guy and was very good during his first couple of seasons, but I really don't think he'll be missed on the pitch

    ;ok
  • Maybe Palace will be able to get that bandage off his wrist :smile:
  • Personally I think there is a massive difference.

    I think in 10 games Nobes will have 6 solid ones, 2 poor, 2 good. Cheik will have 5 poor, 4 solid, 1 good. Nobes also has passing quality which Kouyate doesn’t, & he also tackles successfully instead of clumsily (I admit Nobes does his fair share of poor tackling too), plus has a positional awareness. Kouyate tends to walk around aimlessly.

    I think both Obiang & Kouyate are usually 100% poor when partnered with anybody but Nobes.
  • I think Kouyate would have been 5th chiice in the CM role so in terms of saleable assets he was the best option.

    Value maybe a bit low but Palace are in fin trouble...

    I doubt we would have got more from outside UK..
  • Good Luck to him. Once a hammer, always a hammer. ;scarf
  • Vorse,

    Porto actually offered more not only in a transfer fee but in wages but he wanted to stay in the Premier league. ;ok
  • I wouldve liked £10m if he went abroad...does feel a tad low for a rival (Palace will be aiming for the bes tif the rest)

    But its stil a good move imo, he doesnt fit into Pellgrinis passing system weve seen, 28, coming off 2 awful seasons and big wages....60k apparantly when he extended his contract in 2016

    I do think he will do well at Palace so expect fan backlash soon but have to understand how he suits Palaces style better than ours
  • If Palace continue with a 4-4-2 then CK will leave holes in their midfield, imo. Sad to see him go, but he really dropped off over the last two seasons and is 29 in December.
  • edited August 2018
    Nice touch from our media team:

  • That 2nd goal ;cool

    I think he was a popular guy ;ok
  • Maybe Palace will be able to get that bandage off his wrist :smile:

    I am sure the first question at his medical was “so what exactly is wrong with your wrist?”

    It would be mine



    ;whistle
  • With Palace's midfield I could see him slotting in at CB there. Ironically where he had some of his best games for us...
  • Too much of this in the end from a player whos main asset was energy and chasing people down...

  • You can have one of these featuring any and every player pretty much.
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