With Declan Rice finally having departed West Ham in a British record deal to Arsenal, the Hammers need for a replacement is obvious.
It could be said that the England star is almost irreplaceable, so good was he in that defensive midfield position, however, the situation that David Moyes’ side now find themselves in means that they need to get a high-quality exponent in through the door as soon as possible.
There are just over three weeks left until a ball is kicked in the new Premier League season, and as of this moment, the Europa Conference League winners still haven’t signed any players.
Whether or not they remain light in other positions is a moot point because it’s imperative they replace Rice as a matter of priority.
According to The Athletic (subscription required), they’re actually walking away from a potential deal with one player, which is hardly likely to help matters at this late stage.
After having a £45m bid for Joao Palhinha turned down by his current employers, Fulham, the east Londoners are now, apparently, going to turn their attentions elsewhere and won’t waste time on a second bid.
By narrowing the field of prospective replacements, not only does it limit their options, but it also alerts any selling clubs as to how desperate the Irons will be the nearer we get to the start of the 2023/24 campaign, and that’s not a healthy negotiating position for David Sullivan to be in.