West Ham United ‘furious’ over ‘scandalous’ deadline day situation as Danny Ings, Pablo Fornals, Maxwel Cornet and Ben Johnson could leave
West Ham are “furious” that they have a game on deadline day when four players that would be in the squad “could all go”, according to Kieran Gill.
The Daily Mail journalist told the paper’s YouTube transfer live stream on Thursday night (31 August, 5.30pm) that he understood why the Irons feel it is “scandalous” that their Premier League trip to Luton Town has clashed because David Moyes wants to name Danny Ings, Maxwel Cornet, Pablo Fornals and Ben Johnson on his bench.
With the quartet all potentially moving on before the 11pm deadline it leaves him stuck since they can’t leave the game midway through to complete a move if a suitable bid comes in during those hours.
Gill said: “We should mention, tomorrow they’re playing at Luton at 8pm and I happen to know they’re furious about that.
“They’ve still got work to do, both incomings and outgoings. Danny Ings, Pablo Fornals, Maxwel Cornet, Ben Johnson. They could all go, and Moyes wants to name them on his bench tomorrow as he has done in every other game this season.
“But what’s Moyes meant to do if, say, Everton come in for Danny Ings with a nice bid at 9pm tomorrow? ‘Oi Danny, get your kit off, we’ve got a cab waiting for you to Finch Farm’?
“I can understand why they’re thinking it’s a bit scandalous that they’re playing, because it doesn’t usually happen and I happen to know they are furious about that.”
Catch 22
It is pointlessly awkward for West Ham to have a game in some of the most crucial hours of the entire summer transfer window, and will likely mean the squad is weaker for it.
If the manager is open to those four names leaving then all he can do is leave them out of the match day squad and do his best with other options.
But after starting the Premier League season strongly he won’t want to risk derailing that progress at Kenilworth Road so it is clearly a frustration.
As all four are back up options the manager will have to hope that his preferred choices can do the job without them, but with incoming business going right down the wire he faces being without exit-bound players or their replacements for this game.
It is another reason why the delay in getting deals done earlier the summer should have been avoided, because new arrivals could have been brought in already and the potential departures wouldn’t have been needed for the squad either way.
While West Ham have done great work in the final weeks of the window to make up for the frustrations of earlier in the summer, they have been left with one last sting in the tail as they try to get their transfer business done.
In other West Ham news, Tim Steidten’s “next destination” for a player the club “really like” has been tipped after he returned “empty handed” from Brazil.