Seems we are pressing ahead with this deal for the keeper from Brazil. 29, only really became a regular last season. Seems to have a history of inconsistent performances. Odd.
If the only way that we could get a good centre midfielder in was to sell one of our existing ones, and the only one that we had interest in / offers for was Soucek, then yes. But he's the last one I'd want to see out of the door if all things were equal.
So looks like John Victor is a go - Botafogo have signed Neto from Bournemouth as his replacement. We are in advanced talks.
Despite some fans trying to find clips of him throwing the ball in his own net, he is well rated in Brazil. Was linked with Spurs & Man Utd back in January. I can’t say I am excited based on the fact I had not heard of him so I’ll pass judgement on his ability until he plays. His stats are favourable to Areola’s.
Still need a dynamic top half Premier League quality midfielder.
Gotta find that player outside the prem
Gotta find a Diouf type signing, get a player from a foreign league that fits our budget
Like Onyedika at Club Brugge who we've been linked with a couple times, £20m/£25m is the rumoured value....never seen him but he seems exactly what we need. Doesn't have to be him specifically, but a signing like that. Actually use our scouting team
So looks like John Victor is a go - Botafogo Despite some fans trying to find clips of him throwing the ball in his own net, he is well rated in Brazil. .
I hope he's got all these out of his system, because he looks truly awful in this compilation:
I think people do need to realise we spent a significant amount of money last year & underachieved - we can’t keep spending money constantly & not make returns on the pitch by achieving European football etc. 14th & a sacked manager was really a disaster for the club given the spend.
We will now feel the blow of that, Kudus has probably allowed us a bit of money which we have used on Diouf & now on John, but that’s still around £30m we have committed to paying (albeit I doubt all at once). Equally, we won’t get the full £55m Kudus money all at once.
& we still need a couple of midfield options & possibly a forward. If we sell nobody else it will be difficult.
The last set of financials made it very clear; there is no further money for player trading without further investment.
Oddly, the Casey article has been deleted from the OS
Something weird's going on with this Casey deal. We announced it, the BBC picked it up, we deleted the story, and nobody else has reported on it. Swansea haven't announced or confirmed it, and we've said nothing.
&, despite the fact Areola is (IMO) not great, he is certainly not bad. He is still at the club on the books. He will probably still be at the club - on the books, come September. He is still a (fairly) 'ok' keeper. He has certainly contributed to recent European success.
Things can change, which many fans don't consider. For example, we sign John, sell Paqueta/Alvarez/Aguerd, loan Areola & sign Hermansen. That could happen in the last week of the window.
At the moment, we have to make do with the limited budget we have & the bloated squad of players - particularly in midfield - who nobody seems to want. We probably wanted to shift Aguerd for over £20m. Hasn't happened (yet). We probably wanted to shift Alvarez for over £25m. Hasn't happened (yet). We may be predicting Paqueta goes for £40m-£50m. Hasn't happened (yet).
As a result, it's KWP, Wilson & John (for now). It may be slightly different in 3 weeks.
Oddly, the Casey article has been deleted from the OS
Something weird's going on with this Casey deal. We announced it, the BBC picked it up, we deleted the story, and nobody else has reported on it. Swansea haven't announced or confirmed it, and we've said nothing.
I think they were still in America when it was announced - which seemed odd as Casey was with the squad. Think somebody may have jumped the gun from our media team (not the first time!).
He has played in the English, French and Spanish top flights
He has 5 caps for France
John Victor is 29
He has played his entire career in Brazil apart from what was supposed to be a season on loan with Valladolid in 2023/24 when they were in the Spanish second division
He made 11 starts before being dropped to the bench and made one more start in the Cup before the loan was terminated early
West Ham were left with big gloves to fill this summer after goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was released in June.
The 40-year-old Pole made more than 200 appearances in a seven-year spell for the Hammers but was deemed as surplus to requirements by head coach Graham Potter.
Frenchman Alphonse Areola, 33, became Potter’s first choice during the second half of last term but he will likely face stiff competition if the club do sign Victor John from Botafogo.
The 6ft 5in Brazilian has excelled during the past two years and he was a key member of the Rio de Janiero side’s league and Copa Libertadores double in 2024. He was also in the team that defeated European champions Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 at the recent Club World Cup.
His 2024-25 statistics make for excellent reading, especially when compared to Areola and the recently departed Fabianski.
It is worth noting that the Premier League is a step up in level from the Brazilian top flight but the numbers do suggest that West Ham may well have unearthed a goalkeeping upgrade.
Comments
https://www.whufc.com/news/kaelan-casey-joins-swansea-city-loan
Mason Terry joins Braintree on loan.
https://www.whufc.com/news/mason-terry-joins-braintree-town-loan
Despite some fans trying to find clips of him throwing the ball in his own net, he is well rated in Brazil. Was linked with Spurs & Man Utd back in January. I can’t say I am excited based on the fact I had not heard of him so I’ll pass judgement on his ability until he plays. His stats are favourable to Areola’s.
In:
Todibo CB
Diouf LB
Walker-Peters RB
Wilson ST
Victor GK
Out:
Kudus
It’s hardly ‘season changing’ business (on paper). A lot will be on Potter & the staff to get more out of the current squad - plus the additions.
Not convinced by this Brazil GK from the little I've heard of him Gotta find that player outside the prem
Gotta find a Diouf type signing, get a player from a foreign league that fits our budget
Like Onyedika at Club Brugge who we've been linked with a couple times, £20m/£25m is the rumoured value....never seen him but he seems exactly what we need. Doesn't have to be him specifically, but a signing like that. Actually use our scouting team
John for Fab
KWP for Coufal
Diouf for Cresswell
Wilson for Antonio/Ings
Obviously no replacement for Kudus but hopefully getting a full season out of Fullkrug is the plan
We're light though, but think this s season is just a maintain type season and go a bit bigger next year when PSR eases up
We will now feel the blow of that, Kudus has probably allowed us a bit of money which we have used on Diouf & now on John, but that’s still around £30m we have committed to paying (albeit I doubt all at once). Equally, we won’t get the full £55m Kudus money all at once.
& we still need a couple of midfield options & possibly a forward. If we sell nobody else it will be difficult.
The last set of financials made it very clear; there is no further money for player trading without further investment.
Things can change, which many fans don't consider. For example, we sign John, sell Paqueta/Alvarez/Aguerd, loan Areola & sign Hermansen. That could happen in the last week of the window.
At the moment, we have to make do with the limited budget we have & the bloated squad of players - particularly in midfield - who nobody seems to want. We probably wanted to shift Aguerd for over £20m. Hasn't happened (yet). We probably wanted to shift Alvarez for over £25m. Hasn't happened (yet). We may be predicting Paqueta goes for £40m-£50m. Hasn't happened (yet).
As a result, it's KWP, Wilson & John (for now). It may be slightly different in 3 weeks.
He has played in the English, French and Spanish top flights
He has 5 caps for France
John Victor is 29
He has played his entire career in Brazil apart from what was supposed to be a season on loan with Valladolid in 2023/24 when they were in the Spanish second division
He made 11 starts before being dropped to the bench and made one more start in the Cup before the loan was terminated early
He has one U17 cap
Here's comes the new Roberto!!!