Frustration is setting in at West Ham as the club struggles to make inroads in the transfer market, despite looking to reinvest its Declan Rice windfall.
With just 10 days until their season opener at Bournemouth, the Hammers are the only Premier League club yet to make a summer signing and have pulled out of a deal for Manchester City youngster Carlos Borges.
David Moyes remains keen to add three or four players to his squad before the window closes, but time is running out for the Irons, who risk heading into the new campaign without reinforcements — and minus Rice, who was sold to Arsenal for a British record £105million last month.
Moyes has money to spend but a new-look transfer committee also including Tim Steidten, the former Bayer Leverkusen executive brought in as technical director this summer, are yet to get a deal over the line.
The Scot is keen to sign a winger but has already missed out on one of his top targets in Harvey Barnes, who joined Newcastle from Leicester.
Teenager Borges looked to be on his way to London Stadium and had been earmarked as a first-team signing after a deal was agreed with City, but West Ham have been put off by the Portuguese's wage demands and agent fees. Borges is now set to move to Ajax.
James Ward-Prowse remains a leading midfield target, but the Hammers believe Southampton’s asking price, thought to be about £35m, is too steep for a 28-year-old who was relegated from the top flight last season. There were suggestions last night that West Ham are ready to walk away from talks, but it is understood a deal could yet be revived.
Replacing Rice remains the No1 priority, with Moyes targeting two central midfield arrivals to fill the sizeable void.
However, the knowledge that the club is flush with cash has made negotiating for Rice’s successor a challenge. West Ham have baulked at the value being placed on players such as Scott McTominay and Joao Palhinha, with Manchester United reluctant to sell the Scot and Fulham demanding upwards of £60m for their star midfielder after rejecting the Irons’ £45m bid.
West Ham remain interested in Juventus’ Denis Zakaria but hopes of signing Conor Gallagher have been dashed, as he now looks likely to stay at Chelsea. A bid for Harry Maguire has also been rejected by United.
