Looking at West Ham’s first team squad, and apart from goalkeepers and defence, despite being on a £50m net spend so far this summer and considering they will have European football, it seems light…
3 GK’s: Fabianski, Areola’s loan turned into a permanent move, Randolph.
5 CB’s: Zouma, Aguerd, Dawson, Ogbonna, Diop (who’s been linked with a move out).
4 FB’s: Coufal, Cresswell, Johnson, Masuaku.
3 CM’s: Rice (going nowhere this summer at least it seems), Soucek, Downes has been signed from the Championship to provide backup.
Attacking midfielders, wingers and forwards: Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma, Lanzini (who can also cover at CM like he did last season, but that was more of an urgency I think), Vlasic (who they want to get rid, probably on loan for now), Antonio.
So, 9 senior players for all the midfield and attacking positions, out of which they want to get rid of one.
Am I the only one who’s hoping he becomes their Gerrard? A home-grown player who sticks with the club through his entire career, even if he might have been more successful trophy-wise somewhere else…
Think the chances for that are very slim. He’s got 2+1 years left on his deal (and rejecting new/improved extensions), so if nothing unusual happens, I expect him to move maybe from next summer on.
I don’t find him particularly interesting as a player, but I’m still curious about where he could end up. I’d be surprised if City or Liverpool are interested, and I also don’t think he’s a player Ten Hag would want as his #6. Chelsea maybe?
It’s funny but last season he actually got forward more. Perhaps the high demanding price coupled with a slight change in playing style made the potential buyers (United before Hag and Chelsea) look elsewhere. Rodri has signed a new deal with City and now with Phillips, you’d say they’re sorted in that position for the next couple of years. Chelsea maybe yeah, he’s a fan of the club, best pals with Mount and all that. But we’ll see what direction they take with people like Jorginho and Kante getting on. They also want Frenkie, perhaps exactly as a replacement for Jorginho.
Maybe by that time, a project like Newcastle gets involved for him, if they can offer a higher ceiling than West Ham.
De Jong and Rice could be a good combo to replace those two. Quite similar player types (roughly), Frenkie being the ball central and Rice providing the defensive/physical qualities.
Newcastle, good shout, I keep forgetting they have money now.
Wilian Arao from Flamengo to Fenerbahce for £2.7m.
Noah Ohio from RB Leipzig to Standard Liege on a permanent deal.
Fabrizio Angileri from River Plate to Getafe on a free.
Thomas Strakosha from Lazio to Brentford on a free.
Jaka Bijol from CSKA Moscow to Udinese for £3.6m.
Aaron Connolly from Brighton to Venezia on loan.
John Guidetti from Alaves to AIK on a free.
While I understand the point you’re making, I wouldn’t use Stevie G as the comparison: a player who won everything possible (except the PL) with us and came mighty close to winning that too. If Rice stays at WH he won’t be winning much.
Back to lens where it all started,full circle, 13 clubs in between ,hard to believe now in hindsight that Chelsea got banned for two windows trying to seduce this guy.
It’s insane the Barca situation, they are forcing De Jong to leave because Utd are massively overpaying for him, despite being owed £15mil in defered wages. Why this isn’t being investigated, utterly toxic club.
