West Ham United know they need to get it right in the transfer market this summer after a poor year of recruitment.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic
Slaven Bilic is targeting four “game-changer” signings this summer and bringing in two top strikers is his key priority.
So far the Hammers have been struggling to make headway with key targets, a familiar picture to last summer.
Bilic has been linked with moves for the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Kelechi Iheanacho, Michy Batshuayi, Onyekuru Henry, Anthony Modeste, Bertrand Traore and Olivier Giroud but it seems the club are no closer to adding to their solitary signing of Pablo Zabaleta so far this summer.
The Hammers endured a tough second season under Slaven Bilic and actually did well to finish 11th in the Premier League albeit a far cry from their heroics the season before.
Co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold were full of promises to fans ahead of their move to the Olympic Stadium last summer.
But a terrible season of recruitment has left fans disgruntled over what they feel are broken promises when it comes to West Ham’s dealings in the transfer market.
West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold
Indeed the ability to compete with the Premier League elite as a result of the stadium move was held up as a carrot to fans dubious over the decision to leave the club’s famous Boleyn Ground home of 112 years.
Bilic has since admitted the club wasted too much time chasing unrealistic targets last summer and it cost them dear as their back-up targets slipped through their fingers in the meantime.
That was certainly the case last season with moves for Batshuayi, Alexandre Lacazette and Carlos Bacca all unsuccessful leaving West Ham with a disastrous last minute loan move for Italian flop Simone Zaza.
Bilic ended up with flop Simone Zaza last season
But are the club repeating the same mistakes yet again?
Modeste sealed a mega money move to China, Traore is set to join Lyon and now Henry is reportedly out of the equation over work permit issues.
That’s according to New Telegraph, which has cast major doubts on the move for Henry.
The report says that as the Nigerian 20-year-old does not automatically qualify on the percentage of senior international matches for his national team.
Bilic wants two strikers
And that would leave his fate in the hands of The FA’s Exceptions Panel which would be asked to consider “the player’s experience and value” in order to determine whether a work permit should be granted.
Henry only has one senior cap and despite scoring 23 goals during his breakthrough season for Eupen in Belgium, any decision would be very much in the balance.
It begs the question are West Ham doing due diligence on targets before wasting time chasing lost causes?
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