Danny Murphy feels West Ham United ‘missed a trick’ and let David Moyes down after not signing a backup for Michail Antonio in the January transfer window, he said on talkSPORT.
The Hammers have now gone three-straight markets without strengthening their centre-forward options following the recent January sales. Moyes has needed to improve in the position for the past year after selling Sebastien Haller to Ajax depleted the Irons’ ranks.
Haller was the Hammers’ club-record signing when West Ham backed Manuel Pellegrini to the tune of £45m in July 2019. But his claret-and-blue career struggled to take off and left east London for Amsterdam just 18-months and 14 goals in 54 games later at a £25m loss.
Moyes has explored options who can possibly fill Haller’s void behind Antonio in the West Ham pecking order since. Yet Antonio remains their only recognised centre-forward, with wingers Jarrod Bowen and Andriy Yarmolenko often moving centrally as cover if needed.
Benfica’s 26-goal machine Darwin Nunez was one the Irons explored signing this January, per Gianluca Di Marzio. Moyes was desperate to acquire the free-scoring Uruguayan and offered €50m (£42m) for his transfer. But the offer fell flat, as the Aguias wanted far more.
Moyes also claimed, via the Evening Standard, after the mid-season market that West Ham agreed a deal for Duvan Zapata. But as the window was about to slam shut, Atalanta went quiet and retained the Colombian who has scored 12 and assisted seven goals this season.
Murphy feels West Ham ‘missed a trick’ not signing a backup for Michail Antonio
Murphy believes West Ham made a mistake by not at least signing another striker who can support Antonio in Moyes’ plans, even if they were not a big name transfer. He also senses the Hammers board have not truly backed Moyes like they did during Pellegrini’s tenure.
“I do think they missed a trick in not getting someone,” Murphy said. “Even if they couldn’t get someone they thought would take his place, someone who can compete at his level. Someone a bit younger or hungry, who doesn’t mind coming off the bench.
“Although he said the right things, I don’t think he got what he wanted [in January]. He’s an intelligent man, why wouldn’t he want someone in?
“There’s no way Moyesy didn’t want someone in. The West Ham owners have only once, in recent history, shown real gumption in the market when they backed Pellegrini. Other than that, they’ve done everything on a shoestring.”
While Murphy senses West Ham have not supported Moyes in transfer windows like with Pellegri, the Scot – publicly – agrees. He stated after selling Haller last year, via the Evening Standard, he did not want to repeat their costly mistakes with further unsuitable signings.
Three windows on, he has stuck to those words and refused to bring another body in just to make up the numbers. But that may now prove costly this season if the Hammers do not qualify for Europe again, having fallen out of the top-four positions since January.
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