David Sullivan set to make same old error as West Ham weigh up fresh transfer approach
David Sullivan could be about to make a frustratingly familiar mistake at West Ham as they eye additions in the final stages of the transfer window.
The East Londoners have been on the receiving end of two heavy defeats to open the new Premier League campaign, as issues are emerging throughout the squad.
There are now fresh suggestions that Lucas Paqueta could be heading for a West Ham exit, as the upcoming days look set to be a pivotal stage of their season.
It has become abundantly clear that Graham Potter requires several more new faces before next Monday’s deadline, but that will rely on the right level of support from upstairs.
David Sullivan gets it wrong again as West Ham eye Mehdi Taremi deal
West Ham showed an interest in signing Mehdi Taremi earlier in the summer, but talk of the Iranian striker completing a switch to E20 has ceased emphatically in recent weeks.
The Hammers have since added Callum Wilson to their attacking ranks, but the situation surrounding Taremi now appears to have taken another turn.
The Inter Milan frontman’s future looked destined to come down to a straight decision between Fulham and Leeds United, but West Ham are still in the race, according to Italian outlet Quotidiano Sportivo.
Taremi is said to be “attached to the phone” in order to secure his dream move to the Premier League, with West Ham now thought to be “thinking about” making a move for him.
- West Ham paid £12m for a 30-year-old Danny Ings in 2023 – he scored just five times in three seasons
- West Ham paid £27m for a 31-year-old Niclas Fullkrug last summer – he managed just three Premier League goals last term
- Taremi is already 33, and has just one goal to his name in one of Europe’s ‘top five’ leagues
New additions are desperately needed at the London Stadium, but this pursuit could easily see Sullivan make a mistake that has drawn continuous frustration in recent years.
The Hammers chief seemingly has a knack for signing ageing, injury-prone strikers who are past their best, with the likes of Niclas Fullkrug and Danny Ings very clear recent examples of this.
Sullivan has arguably already managed it again this summer with Wilson, and if Taremi is signed then it would a frustrating sign that lessons are not being learned.
Mehdi Taremi is not what Graham Potter needs
Wilson has already made a stuttering start at West Ham, and the last thing that Potter needs is another gamble on a veteran striker.
Taremi experienced injury issues last season and was limited to just seven starts all year in Serie A. The 33-year-old notched just three goal contributions for Inter, in his first ever experience of one of Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues.
- Taremi got three goal involvements from 26 Serie A appearances last term
- He enjoyed back-to-back seasons of over 40 goal contributions for Porto between 2021 and 2023
- His form has rapidly dropped off in the last few seasons – just six league goals in his final year with Porto, before one in Milan last term
He is available for a cut-price fee this summer, but he is simply not what the Hammers need by any means.
Potter would undoubtedly welcome more firepower through the door before Monday’s deadline, but he will want somebody who can provide a different option in terms of the strengths that they provide.
Taremi would be a scarily similar signing to Fullkrug and Wilson, and with that in mind, there is little evidence to suggest that it would be a signing that would work.
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