OPINION
West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini went about his business in the summer market with ruthless speed and efficiency as he identified the squad’s weaknesses and immediately moved to reinforce those areas.
Shortcomings in goal and defence were addressed with four new recruits, while Pellegrini strengthened in midfield with two new players and boosted his attack with a further three signings.
The club’s total outlay approached the £100million mark as West Ham ended up as one of the Premier League’s biggest spenders with this unprecedented spree in the market.
Considering the way in which Pellegrini conducted his business and looking at the kind of players he ended up bringing in, it is a surprise then to hear that the Hammers launched a swoop to sign one of the Premier League’s most mercurial talents of recent years.
As reported by Foot365 journalist Patrick Juillard on Twitter, the Hammers made an approach to sign free agent attacker Hatem Ben Arfa, who is without a club after leaving PSG this summer.
Ben Arfa is said to have turned down the Hammers’ approach amid hopes he would be able to sign for Lyon, but with Nabil Fekir set to stay that move is now unlikely to happen.
While there will be many keen on seeing the 31-year-old dazzler back in the Premier League following his spells with Newcastle and Hull in years gone by, West Ham have surely dodged a huge bullet on this one.
Ben Arfa is a notoriously disruptive presence in any dressing room, and the former France international has unfortunately ruined his career with the constant off-field problems that have dogged him for years.
His talent is undeniable, but his acrimonious exit from PSG illustrates his continued failure to mature away from the pitch, despite the fact he is now 31 years old.
Such a signing would have threatened to undo a lot of the good work that Pellegrini managed to complete over the summer, with all the players he brought in looking to be sound professionals.
All in all West Ham should be breathing a sigh of relief that Ben Arfa turned them down this summer, and Pellegrini can now move on with his work without his menacing presence in the dressing room.
