Former Hammer Teddy Sheringham gives his insight to West Ham’s transfer business and potential signings.
The Irons lost star Declan Rice early in the window for a record fee.
Sheringham told Lord Ping: “I have been surprised by the time it has taken to invest the Declan Rice transfer fee into the squad.
“Everyone knew that Declan was leaving the club at the end of last season, so you would have liked to have thought that West Ham would have had the targets in place to replace him ready to come into the club.
“We’re not sure what is going on behind the scenes at West Ham regarding transfer decisions.
“David Moyes squashed any rumours about a falling out with his new Sporting Director, but the lack of any significant business apart from the Alvarez deal suggests that something must have been going on.”
West Ham have had moves rejected for Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire this window.
Deals could be revisited for the pair before the end of the window.
“Scott McTominay would be an ideal signing for David Moyes. McTominay is the epitome of what Moyes likes in his players: very solid, he’s a good runner with plenty of energy and, as he has done for Scotland, he can score goals.
“James Ward-Prows Harry Maguire – they are both leaders.
It’s very difficult for players to go straight into a new football club and assume the role of a leader immediately or potentially to be appointed a captain, because we know that Moyes hasn’t announced his permanent captain yet.”
West Ham have said they would like to sign a striker this window after losing Gianluca Scamacca.
Sheringham, a legendary West Ham striker himself, however feels that may not be a necessity.
“I think Antonio and Ings are good forwards, both fantastic players in their own right.
“I think they would score goals in any team in the Premier League but the bigger issue at West Ham is the style of play.
“We know that David Moyes likes to play a cautious brand of football – very stable.
“He needs to find the solutions that can unlock the goalscoring talents of Antonio, Ings, and Bowen, but it’s not easy to do that without it impacting other areas of his team.”
While West Ham do not want to sanction anymore outgoings, they may be forced to lose star man Luca Paqueta.
Paqueta has caught the eye of Manchester City who seek a replacement for the injured De Bruyne.
“It’s difficult for me to say whether or not I think Paqueta is at the required level to play for a club like Manchester City because he has only been with West Ham for a year and it took him a little bit of time to show his potential.
“If Pep Guardiola is after him, then he must rate his as a top player because he doesn’t sign average players.
“Pep knows exactly what he is looking for in a player so he will be confident that if he were to sign Paqueta from West Ham, he would have the ability to make an impact in his team.
“He could be a better fit for Man City then he is for West Ham, his style certainly suits teams that like to play on the front foot.”
David Moyes’ position at the club has become very tenuous.
Many people question wether he is the right man to leave the Hammers forward.
Sheringham certainly shares West Ham fans concerns with the style of football on show.
“If you look at David Moyes’ position at the club over a longer period, it would be fair to say that a large majority of West Ham’s fanbase haven’t been happy with the football that’s on offer at the London Stadium.
“The football is, I don’t want to say hit and hope, but it seems that they’re game is about getting the ball into Antonio quickly and using his physicality.
“On his good days, that can be quite effective and he can cause real trouble to teams, but on his bad days, he looks a little cumbersome.
“When you put yourself in a West Ham fans shoes, I’m sure a lot of them are wondering what they will see from their team that will get them excited on a match-by-match basis.
“When you look back at the Trevor Brooking and Alan Devonshire days, which is when I used to watch them as a fan, you knew that you were going to get excited by what the players could do on the pitch. I don’t think West Ham’s fans have that mindset anymore before they enter the stadium to watch their team.
A recent survey by SkySports put West Ham fans bottom of the “hope-o-meter” in preparation for this season.
“That being said, they ground out a European trophy last season and you have to give David Moyes credit for the way that they did that. It’s not easy to win trophies in any competition.
“Everyone would have wanted to win the trophy when the tournament started, and West Ham managed to do it.
“It was fantastic to see the fans enjoy that moment, so the recent trophy has to be taken into account when thinking about David Moyes’ future at the club.
