West Ham United ‘risk first post-Tim Steidten howler’ as De Paul news emerges
West Ham United will never learn from their transfer mistakes.
Tim Steidten is “on the brink” of leaving his role at the London Stadium [talkSPORT], but his influence is still very much in effect.
According to Marca [28 January], the Irons have seen a £21million bid for Rodrigo De Paul rejected by Atletico Madrid as Graham Potter aims to bolster his squad in the final days of the transfer window.
Although Potter has much work to do in East London and little time left in the winter transfer window, the Irons boss cannot afford to allow himself and the board to fall back into familiar habits.
West Ham United should give up on Rodrigo De Paul
A 30-year-old deep-lying midfielder with no previous Premier League experience is supposed to be the answer to the midfield problems. Remind you of anyone?
Guido Rodriguez arrived in East London last summer on a free transfer, and now, five months later, West Ham are open to offers to end his “disaster” spell in England [The Times].
The Hammers have a torrid track record in central midfield recruitment, with Edson Alvarez, Kalvin Phillips and James Ward-Prowse, to name a few.
The latter is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest and getting no minutes, while the Mexican is eager for an immediate exit.
Carlos Soler is the only notable success story, and even his loan signing from PSG was purely down to circumstance rather than expert scouting and recruitment.
Indeed, De Paul – part of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad – appears a shrewd signing on paper with over 500 competitive appearances and his knack for goal not wavering in his 30s, with three goals and three assists in LaLiga this term.
However, this is the same story with a different name – there is plenty of experience in the midfield ranks. What the Irons need is a younger pair of legs with the quality to be a key figure in a long-term project.
Nevertheless, Potter has tasked recruitment analyst Kyle Macaulay with signing three new players with six days until the 3 February deadline [The Guardian] – it spells a recipe for disaster in East London.
In other West Ham news, Jeff Stelling is “really surprised” by transfer talk he has heard regarding the Hammers.
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