OPINION
With one big money signing signed, sealed and delivered at West Ham in the shape of Pablo Fornals, the east London faithful will be wondering when they can expect to see their next exciting arrival holding up the famous claret and blue shirt.
The Hammers supporters have become used to seeing their side bring in impressive captures, the likes of Felipe Anderson and Issa Diop signalling the club’s intent to make significant improvements on their recruitment from previous years.
Not everyone has lived up to expectation and there has been some money wasted but generally, those who have cost the club a hefty fee have lived up to their price tag.
However, as reported by Football.London, the club are looking at being forced to sell before they can buy, the capture of Fornals said to have slashed what budget Manuel Pellegrini started the summer with.
Now the same news outlet have delivered the significant update that the club are no closer to selling any of those that they want off the books, Reece Oxford’s move to Germany with Augsburg said to be dead in the water due to personal terms.
While director of football Mario Husillos will have spent much of the last 12 months looking at who he might want to bring in, the real test is in getting the players West Ham no longer want, which include first teamers Javier Hernandez, Pedro Obiang and Sam Byram, out the exit door.
How do you drum up interest in players who are likely earning more than they are worth without making a massive loss? That is up to the man in charge of transfers to figure out.
Without offloading these first team players it appears as though Pellegrini and Husillos might not be able to bring any more significant signings before the end of the summer and that will be a big blow to the Irons’ hopes of improving in the Premier League.
Signing impressive players is one thing. Selling underperforming talents is another and it could well be the biggest test of Husillos’ West Ham career.