West Ham could be in transfer danger yet again after new Jonathan David update
West Ham United have to be far more astute and measured in their transfer window after the spending spree of last summer fell drastically short.
Tim Steidten initially had Hammers fans excited and in eager anticipation when he was routinely slapping down large sums to bring in a mix of established stars and young talent, only for just a fraction of them to succeed.
Two head coaches and a Steidten exit later, and supporters are twiddling their thumbs waiting for the season to end so Graham Potter can begin plans for 2025-26 – take two.
West Ham rivalled in Jonathan David interest
West Ham floundered at the beginning of last summer’s transfer window, as Steidten consistently tried and failed to land ambitious targets.
The first of these was Brazil defender Fabricio Bruno, as a saga rolled on for some time, and that set a precedent for the first frustrating few weeks of a window in which the Hammers hierarchy were looking to transform the squad for a major challenge for Europe.
When Steidten began to secure one or two, the gates opened for more at the London Stadium, and West Ham ended up with a net spend exceeding £80million, splashing out a total of around £120million.
One of the primary targets for the Irons this summer appears to be prolific Lille striker Jonathan David, the Canadian international who is out of contract this summer.
However, his free agent status means the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are also interested, with Sky Sports‘ Kaveh Solhekol now reporting (10 April) that Chelsea have entered the race in their priority for a frontman.
It puts West Ham on the back foot when they are looking to avoid being placed on the rejected pile by several key targets again this summer in favour of alternative moves.
Potter will have a say in which free agents stay
West Ham certainly need strikers this summer. Jarrod Bowen has often led the line as an improvised spearhead of the attack this season, with Niclas Fullkrug’s season ravaged by injuries.
Elsewhere, Michail Antonio continues his recovery, but is 35 this year and will be out of contract this summer; Danny Ings’ deal also comes to an end this summer and clearly isn’t fancied by Potter.
This fires David near the top of the list of priorities for the Irons. He has yet to play in the Premier League, but his goalscoring record for Lille is consistently impressive and many clubs are willing to pay big bucks in wages to offer him that platform to impress in England.
| Jonathan David – professional career | Appearances | Goals |
| Club career | 309 | 144 |
| International career | 61 | 32 |
| Total | 370 | 176 |
West Ham will be wary of the competition and while they have to be more financially conservative than last summer for PSR reasons, they must also be committed to landing the targets they identify as urgent, and find that tricky balance.
Additionally, Potter will have a job on his hands to improve the performances of many of the talented players he has at his disposal who have simply not lived up to expectations this year.