One that got away for West Ham as David Moyes names unparalleled Joao Palhinha as star he tried to sign in the summer
One that got away for West Ham as David Moyes names unparalleled Joao Palhinha as star he tried to sign in the summer.
West Ham are widely regarded by fans and pundits to have had one of the best summer transfer windows in the Premier League.
West Ham’s new technical director Tim Steidten and David Moyes invested the Declan Rice money superbly.
That has been reflected in West Ham’s excellent start to the new season in all competitions.
And the fact Steidten has taken on cult hero like status with his own terrace chant.
Moyes peels back the curtain on summer window pursuit
Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Mohammed Kudus arrived for a combined £122m.
Moyes did not get all the players he wanted it seems.
West Ham fans who followed the summer transfer window will remember the club were heavily linked Fulham and Portugal midfielder Joao Palhinha. The likes of talkSPORT reported on that bid at the time.
In terms of defensive midfielders, it is easy to see why West Ham and Moyes wanted the Cottagers star. Palhinha star was unparalleled last season.
In fact there was nobody better than Palhinha in defensive midfield across Europe’s top five leagues last term.
The Hammers saw bids of £45m and £60m rejected according to reports.
One that got away for West Ham as David Moyes names unparalleled Joao Palhinha as star he tried to sign in the summer
But as ever with the transfer window you never quite know the truth around these moves.
Now we do when it comes to West Ham’s pursuit of Fulham’s defensive midfield destroyer.
He was one that got away for West Ham as Moyes names unparalleled Palhinha as the star he tried to sign in the summer.
“We were keen on getting Joao Palhinha from Fulham and we didn’t get him,” Moyes told The Evening Standard.
“We were obviously looking to see who we could try and get after that.
“James Ward-Prowse was high on my list no matter what. But I was able to talk to Johnny (Heitinga) about Edson and then Mo when he started to become a consideration.”
El Machin second choice for Hammers? My goodness Palhinha must be some player then!
What Moyes has also done with his admission is make it clear Alvarez was evidently his second choice as that defensive midfield Rice replacement.
Palhinha really must be some player then because Alvarez has been an instant Hammers hero.
El Machin was brilliant again in the win over Sheffield United.
And he has hit the ground running since arriving in what looks a bargain £34m compared to the £60-80m that was mooted for the Fulham midfielder, who later saw a move to Bayern Munich collapse.
