David Sullivan will be furious over £35m+ transfer blunder which has cost West Ham
West Ham have been shocking defensively so far this season.
Their inability to keep goals out of their net has already seen them ship 16 in seven Premier League matches, the most of any team this campaign.
As a result, Graham Potter was rightly sacked by West Ham, with Nuno Espirito Santo now at the helm, attempting to quickly fix this issue.
However, despite his best efforts, the manager is yet to yield results, with the Hammers conceding three goals in his first two matches.
Yet, this issue may never have been a problem if not for one simple mistake by David Sullivan.
West Ham should have signed Oumar Solet
In the build-up to the summer transfer window, West Ham were linked with Oumar Solet.
The Udinese defender joined the Italian side in January 2025 and had an outstanding second half of the campaign.
As a result, West Ham were reportedly considering a move for Solet, who was valued at just over £30million.
However, in the end, Sullivan and Potter decided to move onto other targets, with Solet remaining at Udinese.
Now, this has proved to be a mistake, with Solet continuing his fine form in the Serie A while the Hammers ship goals.
According to Fotmob on 8 October, the centre-back is averaging 5.67 duels won and 5.33 recoveries per game, while also being capable of playing the ball out from the back.
| Oumar Solet for Udinese this season | Per 90 minutes |
| Tackles | 1.83 |
| Duels won | 5.67 |
| Interceptions | 1.33 |
| Recoveries | 5.33 |
| Possesion won in final third | 0.17 |
| Assists | 0.17 |
| Long ball accuracy | 64.2% |
| Chances created | 0.67 |
Therefore, if Sullivan had simply paid the money for Solet, the East London club may not be in their current predicament.
As a result, the West Ham chairman is likely fuming given the recent issues at West Ham.
West Ham must sign a new defender is January
While West Ham’s backline boasts an experienced backline, it simply does not have the ability to keep goals out.
This could prove to be the Hammers’ downfall this season, and lead to a costly and avoid relegation.
Therefore, Nuno must ensure that Sullivan brings in a new centre-back in January to solve this issue.
If not, West Ham could find themselves relegated sooner rather than later.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest West Ham United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @westhamzone247