David Moyes: You would burst out laughing if you saw West Ham United transfer targets
By Sean Fisher
David Moyes confirmed that West Ham are interested in both Hans Vanaken and Lucas Paqueta this summer but has admitted fans would laugh at the club’s other transfer targets.
With just a week remaining in the transfer window, West Ham are still looking to improve their squad, with Moyes recently confirming that the club had submitted a bid for Lyon’s Lucas Paqueta.
The Hammers have already added to their squad in the shape of Alphonse Areola, Gianluca Scamacca, Nayef Aguerd, Thilo Kehrer and Emerson Palmieri, but Moyes seems keen on adding further reinforcements following a poor start to the season.
After publicly confirming that the club was interested in Paqueta, Moyes also insisted that West Ham’s transfer targets would leave fans in hysterics.
“We’ve bid for a lot of players and if I told you who, you would burst out laughing and say, ‘you’re kidding’,” Moyes said, as quoted by The Independent.
“Maybe we’ve tried to go way above our station, but we have tried to get really top players because I knew we needed it.
“For us, a couple of top players coming in would give everyone a lift and help ease the pressure on Declan Rice, Michail Antonio and Tomas Soucek.”
Running out of time
West Ham are clearly in the market for new signings, but incomings need to come through the doors of the London Stadium quickly.
Regardless of West Ham’s poor start to the Premier League campaign, it was blatantly clear that reinforcements were needed this summer if they were to replicate their seventh-placed finish last season.
Moyes clearly knew that, but while he’s suggesting the club have contacted plenty of players, West Ham’s hesitancy in the market is costing them dearly.
Paqueta’s creative quality is exactly what West Ham are crying out for, with both Manuel Lanzini and Said Benrahma struggling to provide chances in the final third.
West Ham’s problems so far lie with their lack of goals. Investment is desperately needed (and looks to be coming) but failing to get signings through the door before the start of the season means any new arrivals will face immense pressure to turn the situation around in east London.