With David Moyes leaving Tim Steidten has resurrected an exciting transfer and West Ham are reportedly in pole position.
In the minds of many West Ham fans, David Moyes’ tenure started to unravel with the January window.
Word at the time was that Moyes, who publicly insisted he prefers a smaller squad, was rejecting several signings being lined up by technical director Tim Steidten.
West Ham were looking to replace Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals.
A host of attacking players were linked including Jota, Ibrahim Osman and Sunderland’s Jack Clarke.
In the end none of those players were signed.
January inaction put down to Moyes
Sky Sports’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol revealed this week that Moyes’ rejection of Steidten’s January transfers and insistence on signing Kalvin Phillips was a major factor in sealing his fate with West Ham chief David Sullivan.
With Moyes on his way out, technical director Steidten has a big rebuild on his hands.
Reports claim he has already been working with new boss Julen Lopetegui on targets.
West Ham’s squad only has 22 of the 25 allotted players. Six current Hammers are leaving on free transfers and another three or four are reportedly going to be sold.
That means West Ham need to sign at least 10 players this summer in a major rebuild.
Ensuring a large percentage of them tick the homegrown status box is also key.
Now Steidten has resurrected an exciting transfer and West Ham are in pole position.
Steidten resurrects exciting Clarke transfer
Back in March we reported that the path is clear for the Hammers to sign winger Clarke after final contract talks with Sunderland collapsed.
With the very real prospect of Lucas Paqueta leaving in the summer, West Ham need to sign one or two left-sided attackers.
Clarke ticks a host of boxes for West Ham. At 23 and with bags of potential to be a top player, he fits Steidten’s recruitment philosophy.
Crucially he also counts as a homegrown player. And he can not only play across the forward line as well as centrally, but as a left wingback too – an area the Hammers are short of cover for Emerson Palmieri.
The Mirror (09/05, page 61) and Football League World claim West Ham lead Bournemouth in the race for Clarke.
West Ham are in ‘pole position’
“West Ham are seen as the side most keen to add him to their ranks, as they look to rebuild for impending new manager Julen Lopetegui,” FLW state.
“The Hammers have also been linked with moves for Championship stars Jacob Greaves and Callum O’Hare, indicating their interest in getting active in the market this year.”
There is a suggestion that a drop off in form for Clarke and Sunderland in the second half of the season has shortened the queue of interested clubs.
But Clarke still scored 15 and laid on four goals from a wide left position in what was a tough season for the Wearside club. It comes after he scored 11 and assisted 14 in all competitions the season before.
Clarke has had a big move before after joining West Ham’s rivals Spurs from Leeds.
That did not work out, though, and he has had to fight to prove himself down in the Championship.
That will not deter West Ham, though, given some of the club’s best signings in their history have come from the second division from Trevor Sinclair right through to Aaron Cresswell, Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen.
West Ham could get their man as early as next month.
The summer transfer window opens for domestic deals on June 14th.
And West Ham need to be active from the off given how much work needs to be done before players return to pre-season training under new boss Lopetegui.
You can check out Clarke in action in the video below.
