West Ham stood aside to let Aston Villa sign Scott Hogan in January. They now have a more established forward in their ranks.
West Ham clinched the signing of Javier Hernandez yesterday, bringing to an end a long search for a potent goalscorer.
Poor moves last summer had heightened anxiety among fans regarding their transfer activity, and in January manager Slaven Bilic made a big decision too.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
West Ham had been negotiating with Brentford all month long to sign Scott Hogan, before stepping aside on deadline day to let Aston Villa pay the £15 million they were being asked of.
Slaven Bilic told SkySports at the time he was happy with the options in his squad already.
Bilic clearly felt superior options would be available in the summer- and he has been proven right with the capture of Mexico’s all time leading goalscorer Javier Hernandez, at just £1 million more than he would have paid for Hogan.
The Hammers finished in 11th place last season, unspectacular but no harm done, with Bilic having survived a poor run of form to keep his job and lead the club into the 2017/18 season.
It was a gamble to snub Hogan, but appears to have paid off.
Hogan’s time at Aston Villa has given him little chance to prove himself as yet after picking up an injury early on into his spell at the club, and so West Ham have been given little reason to regret not making the move.
Now with former Manchester United star Javier Hernandez set to lead the line, Slaven Bilic should be commended for his patience and decision not to risk panic buying in January.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
