Former West Ham midfielder Steve Lomas has suggested that investment is key if the club are to realise their ambitions of becoming a top six side.
The Hammers currently lie 10th in the Premier League table, but did spend big last summer on players like Felipe Anderson and Issa Diop.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Lomas argued that that level of spending is vital for the club.
He said: “It seems to be going in the right direction. I think we’re still recovering from when we moved.
“The first three transfer windows we were shopping in Poundland.
“The board and the chairman have realised you’ve got to pay decent money, even to stay in the Premier League, never mind pushing on and trying to finish in that top eight and getting into Europe.”
“The board realises now that you have to pay decent money to push on.” 💰
“I think they can be a top six club before too long. The stadium is key.” 🏟
Steve Lomas tells @JimWhite why things are looking good for #WHUFC. pic.twitter.com/NLTTSlttVO
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) February 26, 2019
OPINION
Lomas is right in the sense that West Ham will have to keep splashing the cash if they are to continue their progression towards becoming a serious force in the Premier League. The Hammers have made a good start, and have a fine manager in Manuel Pellegrini, but more will still need to be done. Through a combination of complacency and misfortune with injuries they haven’t quote lived up to the billing they will probably have given themselves in preseason, but there have been glimpses of what they can do, and plenty of signs that there are reasons to be positive. The board seems to have accepted that they need to speculate to accumulate, and now, with the added belief that they can reach their targets, and the added allure of the new stadium, could be enough to allow them to take that next step towards being a proper top drawer side.
