Things have gone from bad to worse for West Ham as Everton launch a double raid to scupper a clever Tim Steidten plan.
West Ham fans will be well aware the club faces a major rebuild this summer requiring as many as 10 players.
Meanwhile Premier League rivals Everton look likely to be restricted in their own transfer business due to PSR.
Former Everton boss David Moyes has done a superb job at West Ham.
But he has also faced criticism for building the joint smallest and second oldest squad in the top flight.
The Hammers have just 22 players, meaning they are three short of the 25 limit.
Six current West Ham players are out of contract in the summer and another four are also expected to be sold.
Given the volume of players the Hammers need they, like Everton, need to be smart in the summer window.
That means targeting players available on free transfers or cheaper signings from the Championship.
Big rebuild for West Ham, money tight for Everton
Earlier today it was revealed that a top free agent being lined up by Tim Steidten, West Ham’s technical director, is now set to sign for Newcastle.
Now things look to have gone from bad to worse for West Ham as Everton launch a double raid to scupper a clever Steidten plan.
On Monday, The Guardian reported that West Ham want to sign Championship duo Jacob Greaves and of Callum O’Hare.
A move for Greaves, the 23-year-old Hull defender, had ‘moved in the right direction’ according to journalist Jacob Steinberg.
Not only are the free agents cost effective options but they also help satisfy the homegrown player quota.
West Ham have also been linked with another Championship star in the shape of boyhood Hammers fan Sammie Szmodics. A deal has been touted for between £12-20m.
The 28-year-old has 31 goals and four assists to his name in 47 games for Blackburn so far this season (Transfermarkt).
But Everton are trying to take a Toffee Hammer to Steidten’s best laid plans.
Bad to worse for West Ham as Everton launch double raid
According to a report from Football Transfers, Everton have launched moves to sign Greaves and Szmodics in the summer window.
The moves come, the report claims, as private investment firm 777 look to bring in additional funding to secure their takeover of the club.
West Ham’s interest is mentioned in the report. So all hope may not be lost.
But Everton sound like they are being very proactive about getting deals done for Greaves and Szmodics.
One would like to think that if the Hammers really are in the mix competing with Everton for Szmodics that he would choose the London Stadium given he is a West Ham fan.
But that did not work out particularly well for Flynn Downes – a self-confessed Hammers nut – much to the regret of many of the club’s fans who were desperate to see him do well.
Ironically, Greaves would actually have more of a chance to play regularly at West Ham given the lack of options and depth at the club.
Toffees Hammer hopes of Championship duo
Thilo Kehrer is being sold to Monaco and veteran Angelo Ogbonna looks to be in his last season with his contract about to expire.
Nayef Aguerd looks set to be sold and Kurt Zouma has longstanding knee issues which limit his availability and appear to be increasingly impact his mobility too.
This would be a big coup for Everton if they can pull it off. One look at the table suggests West Ham are the club to join ahead of the Toffees.
But Sean Dyche’s side have only won one game less than the Hammers this season. And if the Blues had not been deducted a total of eight points, they would be just five points behind West Ham right now.
Given the bleak outlook regarding their finances and protracted takeover, though, West Ham would surely be seen as the brighter prospect for players who have the choice.
Have a look at what West Ham or Everton would be getting in Szmodics in the video below.