West Ham have given the green-light for a "top-class" gem of theirs to leave with defender Ben Johnson next month as they plot January sales.
Moyes working with tight transfer budget
Reliable media sources like Fabrizio Romano have said West Ham will be busy when the transfer window reopens next month, but it is also believed they'll be working on a tight budget.
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An insider has shared a message from the Hammers co-chairman.
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Indeed, club insider ExWHUemployee has claimed that West Ham will need to be careful when it comes to FFP after heavy spending in 2021.
“I have spoken to the person who would be best placed to answer on our January transfer budget,” said Ex late last month.
“What I was told is that Under Financial Fair Play we are struggling. We overspent in 2021 and we have to be careful to not ‘do an Everton’.
“So although there is money there in the pot, it isn’t a huge amount as the club are being understandably careful. We only need to look at the situations at Everton, Man City and Chelsea to know how serious it can be if not keeping within the parameters.”
Manager David Moyes has made clear his desire to sign a new left-winger, which would free up Lucas Paqueta to slot back in to his preferred midfield role. Elsewhere, there are links to new strikers and centre-backs, with options seemingly thin behind Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd.
Konstantinos Mavropanos has made limited appearances in claret and blue this season, but did feature alongside Angelo Ogbonna and scored in a fantastic 2-0 win over Arsenal on Thursday. To fulfil the aforementioned transfer goals in a traditionally tricky January window, West Ham may need to offload unwanted squad members and raise funds through player sales.
West Ham green-light Johnson and Coventry exits
According to club insider Claret & Hugh, West Ham will allow midfielder Conor Coventry and full-back Johnson to leave for a fee in January, rather than leave when their contracts expire in the summer.
The former, despite early promise and even comparisons to Declan Rice, has failed to truly kickstart his Hammers career – playing just one Premier League minute for the club.
Johnson, meanwhile, has steadily become a fringe member of Moyes' squad despite making 20 league appearances over the 2021/2022 season.
The Englishman's talks over a new deal have stopped dead in their tracks, according to C&H, who claim West Ham are just not willing to meet Johnson's demands.
The defender and Coventry have both been given the green-light to be sold next month as a result, and supporters will be especially disappointed with how the latter's east London career turned out.
Said Benrahma
22/12/2023
Nayef Aguerd
19/12/2023
Ben Johnson
20/10/2023
Conor Coventry
28/12/2023
Pablo Fornals
07/12/2023
Once a youngster in demand, Peterborough United director of football Barry Fry was over the moon to have signed Coventry on loan in 2021.
“We have been trying to do a deal for Conor for the last six weeks,” Fry said.
“And when we first made contact David Sullivan promised we would get him as soon as they signed two or three new players. In that time other Championship clubs, bigger ones than us, showed an interest and doubtless offered a better financial package, but David stuck to his word and we have now signed a top-class player."
