West Ham United have dispelled any notion that the glory days have passed, with new head coach Julen Lopetegui combining with technical director Tim Steidten to get busy building this summer.
Luis Guilherme, an exciting teenage winger from Brazil, has signed in a £25.5m deal, while Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Max Kilman has joined for £40m. More is set to happen at the London Stadium, with landing a centre-forward among the most important issues.
Luckily, as per Fabrizio Romano, West Ham have been busy, offering £35m to sign Jhon Duran from Aston Villa. The 20-year-old Colombian scored eight goals for Unai Emery's side last season and has been described as an "erratic entertainer" by The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell, creating a storm of chaos when thrown onto the field.
Michail Antonio, 34, started just 21 times in the Premier League last year as he battled through injuries, and he shall remain on the books. Danny Ings, however, has flattered to deceive throughout his time as an Iron and must be ditched.
Why Danny Ings must be sold
West Ham signed Ings from Aston Villa for £15m in January 2023. He had been a prolific Premier League figure with Southampton, where he scored 44 goals from 100 matches, but fell by the wayside in the Midlands.
Frankly, he hasn't picked himself up in the capital, instead tumbled deeper and deeper into the muddy morass. A return of four goals from 52 appearances hardly speaks of an astute investment, especially given the struggles that West Ham have found at No. 9 over recent years.
For Lopetegui to throw the veteran – who will be 32 years old in under two weeks – back into the starring role at centre-forward would likely prove to be an unsuccessful opening gambit, and considering his weekly salary, it's surely time to take him off the books.
1.
Lucas Paqueta
£150k-per-week
2.
Danny Ings
£125-per-week
2.
Kurt Zouma
£125k-per-week
4.
Jarrod Bowen
£120k-per-week
4.
Alphonse Areola
£120k-per-week
6.
James Ward-Prowse
£115k-per-week
The joint-second-highest earner in the London Stadium club's squad, Ings has not provided West Ham with bang for their buck – not by half.
Given that the up-and-coming Duran is earning just £30k per week at Villa – over four times less than his positional peer – he could feasibly be signed and provided with a salary comfortably below that of the three-cap England international.
Southampton are actually seeking to re-sign the striker this summer after getting promoted to the Premier League, so surely here is the perfect opportunity to close a forgettable door for all involved.
Ings just didn't click in Moyes' West Ham system, and while Lopetegui's arrival has seen fresh life gust into the first-team squad, the one-time Saints sharpshooter is not getting any younger and to balance the striking odds on his shoulders would be an ill-fated gamble indeed.
It would be quite ironic for the Hammers to ditch Ings, having signed him from Villa, and replace him with Duran, signing him from Villa. But while the first time proved unlucky, Duran has the world at his feet and might just prove to be an absolute force in the Premier League for years to come.
Steidten and the powers that be in east London must ensure that this transfer rotation is enacted swiftly.
West Ham have hit gold on phenom who's worth even more than Watkins & Duran
Julen Lopetegui must relish the chance to wield this highly talented player.
1 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 12, 2024