A penny for the thoughts of West Ham United supporters, with David Moyes admitting prior to Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest that Matheus Nunes had turned down a move to the London Stadium.
“We made a bid for him but he chose not to come,” the Scot revealed, via The Athletic.
One on hand, it’s heartening to know that West Ham – a club so often accused of lacking ambition in the transfer market – are making moves for some of the most exciting young talent in Europe. On the other, the fact that Nunes has now become the latest high-profile target to rebuff the Hammers’ advances feels like a harsh reminder of the chasm that still exists between themselves and the Premier League’s big boys, even if Moyes has done a wonderful job chipping away at the glass ceiling.
What could’ve been for West Ham United?
“I spoke to Luis Diaz on the phone,” the West Ham boss said back in February, per Sky Sports. “We were quite far down the line to sign him from Porto.
“My understanding was that Liverpool planned to come in in the summer, so we thought we’d try and get him in January. I don’t know if that affected Liverpool’s decision, but he’s a really good player and we didn’t get him.
“Our ambitions are to sign the best players we can to try to improve West Ham. I want to make us better. I don’t want it to be mediocre.”
Ironically, ‘mediocre’ is probably the word Hammers fans would use to describe their start to the new season. Two goals, two defeats, no goals, even if there was certainly an element of misfortune behind that City Ground loss.
There was nothing mediocre about the way Luis Diaz rescued a point for ten-man Liverpool against Crystal Palace on Monday, however; Parting a sea of Palace defenders before firing a whipcrack of a shot into the far corner.
How West Ham needed a moment of inspiration like this against Nottingham Forest. Or Manchester City, for that matter.
What next for West Ham United?
Diaz’s new team-mate, Darwin Nunez, didn’t exactly cover himself in glory on his Anfield bow – the Uruguayan channelling his inner-Luis Suarez in the worst possible way – but Liverpool’s £85 million record signing has already offered glimpses of his match-winning potential, scoring off the bench against Fulham and Manchester City.
According to Sky, West Ham failed with a £37 million bid for Nunez on deadline day in January; Just five months before he was posing for photos on Merseyside, arm in arm with Jurgen Klopp.
Per The Guardian, Kalvin Phillps and Raphinha – then both of Leeds United – were also the subject of £50 million offers from West Ham in that very same window. Just to season those wounds, Phillips would eventually join Manchester City for a few million less.
“We bid more than that,” Moyes told The Mail, offering West Ham supporters yet another peak behind the curtain.
“We’re trying to be competitive with the big teams. If we can’t, we have to find another way of keeping up with them.”
You can’t fault West Ham’s ambition. Nunes, Phillips, Raphinha, Diaz and Darwin would all have been marquee signings; The sort of eye-catching addition that would make the rest of the Premier League sit up, take notice and recognise West Ham as something of a coming force.
But while Moyes could probably accept losing out to Man City, Barcelona and Liverpool, losing Nunes to Wolves – a side who finished three places lower than West Ham last season – feels, well, different. A missed opportunity for a club who appear to be at risk of standing still, while those around them march onwards.
Will we look back at 2022 as something of a sliding doors moment in West Ham’s modern history? A chance to kick on, not taken?
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