West Ham rejected bargain Dewsbury-Hall deal as David Sullivan left red-faced over transfer blunder
West Ham could have signed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the transfer window, but the midfielder eventually joined Everton.
Dewsbury-Hall looked set to join West Ham, but recent developments have found that there were issues with Chelsea during negotiations.
Since his move to Everton, Dewsbury-Hall has starred alongside Jack Grealish, recording two goal contributions in his first three games.
With Everton thriving and West Ham struggling, the failure to sign the 27-year-old could prove crucial as the season continues.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall would have a brilliant signing for West Ham
An article by The Athletic stated that Mohammed Kudus was initially touted to join Chelsea, with the club offering £40m plus Dewsbury-Hall for the Ghanaian winger.
Chelsea planned to bring the West Ham star in before the Club World Cup started on 15 June, a competition that they would go on to win.
West Ham rejected Chelsea’s bid for Kudus, with the clubs failing to agree on suitable terms, and Kudus moving to Spurs for £55m later in the window.
Dewsbury-Hall then transferred to Everton for £30m in August, meaning West Ham could have easily had the midfielder in their squad before pre-season.
The English midfielder came through the Leicester youth academy, where he eventually broke into the first team.
The midfielder made 36 appearances for Chelsea last season and won the Club World Cup and Conference League under Enzo Maresca.
It’s a huge error from West Ham’s point of view, and whilst hindsight is a wonderful thing, Dewsbury-Hall is exactly the type of midfielder Potter needed.
His energy and dynamism in the middle of the park are exactly what West Ham needed to add to their ageing midfield.
West Ham received only £15m more from Spurs for Kudus than what Chelsea offered, and with Dewsbury-Hall valued at £30m, it’s clear that West Ham also lost out financially.
Mateus Fernandes joined West Ham for £42m, and despite doubts over the fee, he has shown that he can potentially replicate Dewsbury-Hall’s influence at Everton.
Mateus Fernandes can become better than Dewsbury-Hall
Fernandes was hugely impressive on his debut against Nottingham Forest, linking up well with Lucas Paqueta.
| Stat | Fernandes vs Forest |
| Touches | 34 |
| Pass accuracy (percentage) | 87 |
| Recoveries | 7 |
| Tackles | 3 |
The 21-year-old was one of Southampton’s shining stars last season, with his individual performances not reflective of his team’s abysmal season.
Fernandes’ versatility is a huge bonus for Graham Potter, as he is able to play out on the left-wing and through the centre of midfield.
Whilst he is not the finished article yet, his early promise shows that West Ham could have made a better signing than Dewsbury-Hall in the long term.
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