Transfer Speculation (1st June onwards)

OldCastleSwift

I missed the 2nd half.

Sounds like we did a proper job on them.

OutcastLondoner

So Johnson’s played as a RB, LB, RW and RCB.

Hamstew

OutcastLondoner said:

So Johnson’s played as a RB, LB, RW and RCB.

All signs point towards our new CF

whupathman

highlights on you tube

Bazshuayi

I get where Coventry and Chester are but I confess to having no idea where Oko Flex is located

OldCastleSwift

Ex has said that Masuaku's knee is causing the club some concern and his comeback may be dragged out to ensure it's ok.

He's also said that Antonio's hamstrings are being carefully managed, during games and in training, and he won't play every game.

Both of which suggest LB and ST should be more of a priority than a CB, but neither seems to be.

Lukerz

Agent fee for Milenkovic was apparently £5m. Moyes pulled the plus as a result.

BubblesNeverDies

Lukerz said:

Agent fee for Milenkovic was apparently £5m. Moyes pulled the plus as a result.

If true, that is just pure and simple disgusting naked greed. I'm not surprised Moyes refused.

IronHerb

I wonder if he had to talk Sullivan out of it? 😂

OldCastleSwift

Why would Moyes care too much about agent fees? He either wants the player or he doesn't.

Unless £5m is a considerable proportion of his budget so has to be really careful as to what's spent and where.

Fortuneseeker

OCS, All 3 should be a priority or as I have said before a CH who an also cover for LB like Aguerd.

Someone posted the other day the deal for Milenkovic would be less, even including the agent fees, than one for Zouma who we aren't going to sign anyway due to his wage demands?

alderz

OldCastleSwift said:

Why would Moyes care too much about agent fees? He either wants the player or he doesn't.

Unless £5m is a considerable proportion of his budget so has to be really careful as to what's spent and where.

I guess it's conceivable that he wants Zouma ahead of Milenkovic, but settled with Milenkovic because the cost was a lot lower. When the price went up £5m for agent fees he might have said to Sully "if you're prepared to drop £19m on this guy, give me an extra £6m and I can get my number one target".

OutcastLondoner

£5m is another Coufal.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Given how poorly and recklessly we spent money under Pelle, I’m very happy we have a manager taking responsibility for how we spend.

I bet West Ham have been a soft touch when it comes to agent fees over the years, and all the agents will know that. You have to make a stand at some point.

Moyes has spoken a few times about rebuilding the club and I think being sensible with money is part of that.

OldCastleSwift

alderz said:

OldCastleSwift said:

Why would Moyes care too much about agent fees? He either wants the player or he doesn't.

Unless £5m is a considerable proportion of his budget so has to be really careful as to what's spent and where.

I guess it's conceivable that he wants Zouma ahead of Milenkovic, but settled with Milenkovic because the cost was a lot lower. When the price went up £5m for agent fees he might have said to Sully "if you're prepared to drop £19m on this guy, give me an extra £6m and I can get my number one target".

You can see where the problem might be...

OldCastleSwift

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

I bet West Ham have been a soft touch when it comes to agent fees over the years, and all the agents will know that. You have to make a stand at some point.

Would be interesting to know how much Salthouse made out of the Benrahma deal.

ASLEFshrugged

OldCastleSwift said:

Ex has said that Masuaku's knee is causing the club some concern and his comeback may be dragged out to ensure it's ok.

He's also said that Antonio's hamstrings are being carefully managed, during games and in training, and he won't play every game.

Both of which suggest LB and ST should be more of a priority than a CB, but neither seems to be.

We can play Cresswell, Masuaku, Johnson or Fredericks at LB

We're down to three CBs plus Rice and maybe Baptiste.

CB and striker seem more urgent than LB

OldCastleSwift

We can play those players there, but if there's a significant concern around Masuaku's fitness, which there seems to be from what Ex has said, and the other two would be out of position (plus Fredericks is rather injury prone himself), then those options aren't that reliable.

OldCastleSwift

Lingard has scored twice for Man U in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Burnley this afternoon.

Not sure this kind of thing plays into our hands or not. Will OGS be more determined to keep him for depth? Will it give Lingard a bigger desire to move somewhere where he'll play more regularly?

claretandbluesky

At 5m for the agent I would at least want him to be able to make the bench himself.

Fortuneseeker

This approach to doing transfers raises a couple of queries, I believe. Do we really want the player, if so, then pay what is required, especially if the fee is more than acceptable or if the player really wants to sign for us then they need to have a word & explain to their agent that they either lower their fee or come to some kind of agreement in that they will compensate them for any loss in earnings? Do we reckon other clubs continually fail to sign their main targets by using this approach or is it more the second scenario where the player pushes for the move?

nychammer66

Lingard only 20 million now….

OldCastleSwift

Re the earlier conversation about agent fees, I've just seen an interesting stat on Twitter that says over the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons we spent just shy of £23m in agent fees at an average of £5.75m per window.

chicagohammer

I hope that we are able to secure Lingard, he is a quality player who provides us with options, I agree that Benrahma has earned his shirt and I know that many like Fornals for his honesty and effort, but I would like to see Lingard and Benrahma in the same team, I certainly think they can play together and would cause a lot of problems.

PrestonHammer

How many were Salthouse fees?

OldCastleSwift

Fortuneseeker said:

This approach to doing transfers raises a couple of queries, I believe. Do we really want the player, if so, then pay what is required, especially if the fee is more than acceptable or if the player really wants to sign for us then they need to have a word & explain to their agent that they either lower their fee or come to some kind of agreement in that they will compensate them for any loss in earnings? Do we reckon other clubs continually fail to sign their main targets by using this approach or is it more the second scenario where the player pushes for the move?

If we (Moyes) really wanted the player then you'd have thought he would have pushed Sullivan into making the payment and getting Milenkovic in. Certain sites are claiming that Moyes pulled out of the deal because he didn't feel like Milenkovic really wanted the move; if he did, he'd have made his agent reduce his demands.

All just seems a bit odd. Both Milenkovic and Zouma have been declared Moyes' first choice, by the same sources in some instances, and Ex even stated that he believes that had the new HoR been in post, Milenkovic would have been a West Ham player by now. If that's the case, then it would suggest that Moyes did want him, that the player wanted the move and that the blocker was Sullivan's refusal to play the agent, or his inability to negotiate a successful deal.

Personally, I do wonder whether either player is or was a major target. Neither seems remotely affordable. The closer we get to the end of the window, the more likely someone like Joe Worrell is becoming. Not necessarily a bad thing (not seen much of him to be honest), but just feels like a lot of time has been wasted chasing players that were always unlikely to come for one reason or another.

mike

I thought i read that post covid, players wages might be toned down?Doesn't seem like that to me?
Bang average players still asking for 100K+ pw.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

I think there is also a serious case of chicken going on here in this window, especially as there seem to be a much higher amount of players that are into the finals years of the deal, Milenkovic included....most likely due to COVID preventing clubs from offering extensions to those who had 2 or 3 years left as COVID has affected the game for 18 months now

You saw early days that Abraham was rated at £40mil, Milenkovic at £20mil, Lingard at £30mil, Johnstone at £20mil

These fees are gradually going down, probably because clubs realise that what they're asking for is too much and they need the money

£5mil in agents fees is ridiculous, more than a third of the fee we are giving to Fiorentina!!

Also RE. Zouma, think we'll see movement if the Chavs go after Kounde as they're linked to do, just like then getting rid of Abraham once Lukaku was confirmed

It doesn't sound too promising at the moment, but I feel we will have a CB by the close of the window

Ex still reporting that he believes we have approx. £45mil to spend this window a

Yeoldhammer

haha that amount is coming down every week. wasnt it 75m we had to spend then 60m now 45m.

Lukerz

Clubs will wait until the final week. Clubs & players then become desperate to move on as time runs out. Better deals become available. Zouma may be worth £25m now. In a week he’ll be available for loan.