West Ham United signed 13 players over the summer but should they have rivalled Bournemouth for Hammers fan and Arsenal star Jack Wilshere?
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic
The Hammers were linked with all and sundry over the last few months as the club geared up for its inaugural season at the 60,000-seater Olympic Stadium – now referred to as the London Stadium.
The former Croatia manager had been building to ensure he had enough depth to compete at home and abroad, but his side were embarrassingly dumped out by Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the fourth qualifying round of the Europa League.
The East Londoners were actually one of the busiest clubs of the window. Bilic kicked things off by releasing the likes Alex Song, Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses from loan deals.
He also sanctioned the £10 million sale of defender James Tomkins to London rivals Crystal Palace.
Simone Zaza
The Hammers have brought in 13 players. They signed Manuel Lanzini, Havard Nordtveit, Toni Martinez, Domingos Quina, Sofiane Feghouli, Ashley Fletcher, Gokhan Tore (loan), Arthur Masuaku, Jonathan Calleri (loan), Edimilson Ferdnandes, Alvaro Arbeloa and broke their transfer record with the £20.5 signing of Andre Ayew from Swansea City.
That record looks set to be broken again if – as is expected – on loan Italy star Simeone Zaza plays the 15 games which will trigger West Ham’s obligation to buy him for £25m from Juventus.
A wave of injuries have not only derailed Bilic’s best laid European plans but also made for a disappointing start to the Premier League campaign with two defeats from the opening three games – albeit on the road against rejuvenated Chelsea and Manchester City.
A combination of departures, the need to strengthen and those injuries have left Bilic – on paper at least – with a large squad and arguably the strongest in West Ham’s recent history.
But could it have been even stronger?
Jack Wilshere
Bournemouth did some great business in the window, none potentially better than the season-long loan capture of Arsenal star Jack Wilshere.
Bilic’s side were installed as the early favourites to sign the midfielder when the Gunners made him available for a surprise loan.
After all Wilshere and his family are lifelong West Ham fans.
There is a famous picture of the England international as a youngster in his full Hammers kit and he told the Mirror back in 2011 he grew up idolising Paolo Di Canio.
Wilshere is a boyhood Hammer
“My family have always been West Ham fans, so growing up I used to go and watch them and so I was a West Ham supporter,” Wilshere told the Mirror.
“I remember my first game was against Coventry, in 2000, Di Canio scored a hat trick and they won 5-0 so I enjoyed it.
“I used to look up to him for some of the goals he scored. My favourite goal of his was a volley against Wimbledon.”
Of course Wilshere’s allegiance as a professional has been with West Ham’s London rivals Arsenal.
But has Bilic missed a trick not rivalling Eddie Howe for his signature.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
The Hammers are more of a threat to the Gunners nowadays and Arsene Wenger may not have felt comfortable loaning them a player which could help Bilic’s side close the gap further.
Wilshere would surely have jumped at the chance to play for his boyhood club in their sparkling new home, though.
And the prospect of him linking up with the likes of Manuel Lanzini and Dimitri Payet is a mouthwatering one.
Of course his fitness record would have been taken into account, particularly given the wave of injuries Bilic is dealing with already this season.
But an initial loan could have turned into a career reviving permanent move in the future for a homegrown English Hammer.
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