West Ham United signed Euro 2016 winner Joao Mario on loan from Inter Milan during the January transfer window.
West Ham were desperate for new recruits in the winter window especially after being hit with a glut of injuries to key players.
David Moyes was only able to bring in Joao Mario on a short-term loan deal and little known striker Jordan Hugill from Championship side Preston North End.
West Ham’s lack of recruitment and ambition has angered fans who are revolting against co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold over what they feel are broken promises ever since their move to the former Olympic Stadium.
The owners made grand pledges that leaving the Boleyn Ground for Stratford would allow the club to compete with the Premier League elite in the transfer market.
The reality has been very different, though.
Sullivan, who takes a lead on the club’s transfer business, has a penchant for loan deals with an option to buy, a policy which in itself smacks of a lack of ambition, due diligence and belief in any targets.
Indeed in the past the club have always been keen to publicise the fact they have first option to buy players they bring in on loan.
But the option to buy was mysteriously missing from West Ham’s official announcement of the deal suggesting the owners have no intention of activating a permanent move at that price, regardless of how successful Mario is over the next few months.
The Portuguese playmaker was man of the match on his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace.
But sceptical fans will undoubtedly see a lack of acknowledgement of the option on Mario as yet another sign of the owners’ lack of ambition.
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