West Ham’s first transfer window under Graham Potter has come to a close, but was it enough to push them forward? With future ambitions to once again reach Europe in mind, the Hammers were active in the market, reshaping their squad for the challenges ahead.
Key signings arrived to strengthen the team, while some notable departures raised eyebrows. But with rivals also making moves, have West Ham done enough to stay competitive?
Potter’s vision is taking shape, but will his January business be the boost they need—or leave them playing catch-up?
Key signings arrived to strengthen the team, while some notable departures raised eyebrows. But with rivals also making moves, have West Ham done enough to stay competitive?
Potter’s vision is taking shape, but will his January business be the boost they need—or leave them playing catch-up?
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00:00So, James, looking at West Ham and obviously the January window now concluding. Obviously,
00:10it was quite a strange window. They were obviously in search for a forward and they got that
00:14over the line in the last few days with Evan Ferguson's loan deal. James Ward-Prowse returning
00:20from his Nottingham Forest loan as well. He had some good moments at West Ham during his
00:25time there. What do you make of the January window as a whole? Do you think it was navigated
00:29well? Obviously, Graham Potter coming in, it's sort of a difficult situation when you
00:35have a managerial change and then you have to go into a transfer window. So, what did
00:40you make of the January window for West Ham?
00:43I think looking back in the immediate aftermath, I think we should be relatively pleased with
00:49the business that we did. I think a lot of fans and probably even Graham Potter and the
00:53club would have liked to have probably got another centre-half in, a little bit of defensive
00:57cover as well. The decision to recall James Ward-Prowse made so much sense. It made sense
01:02right at the beginning of the month. I'm not too sure why it took an entire month to get
01:05that over the line. He was barely playing at Forest and we needed someone with some
01:11legs in the middle. Obviously, the striker with Evan Ferguson, we needed a striker desperately.
01:18We spoke about it last week. That was the one sign that if we needed to get one done,
01:23it had to be a striker. I think Evan Ferguson, 20 years old, needs a lot of game time. He's
01:27had a few injury problems over the last eight or nine months. He has struggled to get back
01:33into the Brighton team, so it makes sense for him. We need a striker, so it makes sense
01:36for us. So, I think all in all, we can be relatively pleased. I think the frustration
01:41is that it took so long to get that business done. James Ward-Prowse being recalled and
01:46Evan Ferguson coming in happened on the last day. But the change of manager, Tim Stuyton
01:52leaving the club, there was a lot of upheaval at a time when the club would have wanted
01:57to be really focusing on working on the shortlist, bringing in some players, strengthening the
02:03team. But Lopetegui leaving and Graham Potter coming in, and obviously that means that there's
02:07a completely different profile of player that he wants compared to what Lopetegui may have
02:11been looking at. And then the recruitment team's ripped up and that started again.
02:15So all in all, with all of that in mind, I don't think we can be too disheartened that
02:20he's only a striker and a lone recall. I think we can be pretty pleased and confident that
02:25it was the right business.
02:27Yeah, and obviously, just on Evan Ferguson, reunited with Graham Potter. Potter said he's
02:33positive that that was a really good bit of business. Where do you stand? Because it was
02:38only two seasons ago or so where he was dubbed as the next Serling Harland, the next big
02:43thing in the world of football, especially in the striker. The way he's output for his
02:48age at the time was quite remarkable. People can't really forget how good he was under
02:53Graham Potter at Brighton.
02:55Yeah, and that's what's pleased me the most, is that Graham Potter's gone for a striker
02:58that he knows well. He gave him his debut at Brighton, so he knows all about Evan Ferguson.
03:04Evan Ferguson knows all about what Graham Potter wants out of his striker. So it does
03:09feel like it's a bit like a match made in heaven. The key thing is keeping him fit.
03:13But if he is fit and he's playing every week, then we've already seen what he can do at
03:17Brighton. If he's playing consistently, he scores goals. The game that stands out the
03:21most for me is that hatchery against Newcastle, if it was a season before last. Newcastle
03:27were trying to finish in the top four then, and he goes there, he scores a hatchery against
03:33them. So he can finish, only 20 years old as well, he's a top class player. And we've
03:38been crying out for a player like that, that fits the manager system. We've signed so many
03:43strikers over the last decade, maybe even more, who have come in for big money, with
03:49big reputations, never really suited the manager or their style of play. And it feels like
03:54with the way that Potter and Ferguson have worked together in the past, it looks like
03:59we finally got a striker that does that. He fits the mould. He is the profile that Graham
04:04Potter wants and is looking for, and that can work in the system. The key thing also
04:10is that we have enough players around him that can get the best out of his abilities
04:14and the best out of the role that he's going to be playing up front. I'm aware there's
04:17no option or obligation to buying the loan, it is a straight loan. But I'm sure the two
04:22clubs will get around the negotiating table at the end of the season if he scores enough
04:27goals to drive us up the table.