West Ham United are reportedly considering making a move for Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter.
Arter has been a key man for the Cherries since arriving at the Vitality Stadium in 2010 and has since gone on to establish himself as a Republic of Ireland international.
Nevertheless, West Ham fans would certainly be forgiven for thinking that the interest in Arter is just a sign that the club have not learnt their lesson from their recent transfer window mistakes.
Arter will be 28 by the time the January transfer window opens, so could fall into the same sort of category as Marko Arnautovic, Robert Snodgrass, Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Jose Fonte, who appear to have been signed by the Irons at a time when their peak years are starting to drift behind them, or, at the very least, there appears to be very little still to come development-wise.
The midfielder may prove to be an exception if he does sign for West Ham in the future, but his form at the start of this campaign suggests that that may not be the case as he has struggled to make a major impact for Eddie Howe’s men, who sit just one place above the Hammers in the table.
West Ham fans surely need to see the club go out and land players such as Manuel Lanzini, who are clearly good enough to play in the Premier League but who are young enough to get even better in the years to come. And while Arter may prove to be an inspired signing if he is brought in, the signs suggest that West Ham are in danger of getting it wrong once again.
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