West Ham United in hot pursuit of highly-rated youngsters at Arsenal and Chelsea
West Ham are set to target highly-rated young players at clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea in the summer transfer window, according to ExWHUEmployee.
The move would be seen as a stark change in the club’s transfer policy, with the Hammers most recently turning to higher-profile players such as Lucas Paqueta.
The potential switch comes amid a worrying time for the club, with David Moyes’s men currently involved in a tense relegation battle.
“We are looking at various younger players who are very highly rated at clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal,” ExWHUEmployee said on The West Ham Way Podcast on Patreon.
“West Ham of course need to get our Premier League status confirmed for next season first, as that is hugely important in being able to persuade these players to join the club.”
Policy shift
Staying in the Premier League will definitely be the priority this season ahead of any summer transfer plans, firstly because David Moyes may not even be manager in the near future and secondly because it will be very difficult to persuade high-profile players to come to the club if they are relegated to the Championship.
The supposed transfer policy shift seems a good idea on the surface, particularly given how the likes of Paqueta and Gianluca Scamacca have failed to hit the heights expected of them at the London Stadium.
They definitely aren’t the first players to somewhat disappoint Hammers fans, with the potential targeting of youngsters ensuring that such a scenario is avoided given how the new faces would not be arriving with huge pressure on their young shoulders.
The other side of the coin, however, is the struggles that countless players face upon their arrival in a new country and new style of football.
Moreover, Scamacca and defender Nayef Aguerd have been constantly battling with injuries since their arrival, with the former now set to be sidelined for three months after undergoing knee surgery.