Exciting times for West Ham are here with Slaven Bilic in charge and new signings like Dimitri Payet in. But with the additions, some players may be on the way out. Most eyes look for Kevin Nolan or Matt Jarvis to leave the Boleyn Ground, but it could be Stewart Downing who leaves first.
Sunderland have already had a £5m offer rejected by the Hammers, but Sunderland, Leicester City, and Newcastle United may test the resolve of West Ham to keep the former Liverpool player. It’s thought that new Newcastle boss Steve McClaren , who gave Downing his first start at Downing’s boyhood club Middlesbrough, is still keen on the player. Nigel Pearson at Leicester is considering a £7m bid for the 30- year-old, while the Black Cats of Sunderland also prepare an improved offer.
From the ever so insightful Boleyn Insider: “While I believe that it is true there has been interest in the Hammers’ England winger, the Club’s attitude is that he is not for sale.”
But for £7m, take the money and run, I say.
Downing had a break-out year last season for the Hammers, scoring six goals and assisting on eight others. The revitalised Downing earned his first England appearance since his time with Liverpool, and while the second half of his season was a bit of a letdown, no one can deny that his new role of attacking midfielder was much more effective than out wide.
Downing arrived in East London from Liverpool for £5m in 2013, and now on the verge of turning 31, West Ham have to take the profit from him and look for younger. Yes, we want a deep bench for the extra Europa League matches, and yes, I suppose British players are nice, but West Ham would be stupid not to take £7m for Downing.
With £7m, a younger replacement for Downing seems quite feasible, and would be in the best interest of the club. The club has plans to lower the club’s average age to below 27, and cashing in on Downing, and selling Kevin Nolan, both over 30-years-old, would lead to that.
Of course, potential signings Alex Song and Yohan Cabaye are 27 and 29 respectively. Also, Dimitri Payet is 28, so besides signing 23-year-old Pedro Obiang, age still seems quite high. Slaven Bilic has been eyeing his former young centre-mid Tolgay Arslan from Besiktas, and at 24, Arslan could be a quality replacement for Downing.
Payet plays the same position as Downing, and a move for first team football may be in Downing’s favour. However, playing it safe, Downing is a capable substitute, and West Ham are known for injury issues. Selling Downing would leave a whole in our backups, and a replacement is vital. £7m for Downing would go a long way in funding a replacement, however.
Song seems set to sign back up for the Hammers on a free transfer after turning down Chelsea in order for first team football according to El Mundo, so there is money saved from the £5m Barcelona originally requested. Also, Song would count as a homegrown player due to his time in England, so the worry of having too few Englishman is pushed off momentarily there. Cabaye may be available for around £13m, however Southampton are keen on the PSG player as well. The £7m from Downing could go a long way in cutting down on Cabaye’s fee.
Purely based on funds, should West Ham sell Jarvis, Nolan, Downing, and Modibo Maiga – who was not included in the Europa League First Round squad – that could help with the potential purchases that currently eclipse £50m, when the believed maximum sum for West Ham’s summer spending sat closer to £30m.
Obiang and Payet together cost £15m. Ongoing talks with Juventus for Angelo Ogbonna are around £12m, a heavy fee that almost brings the Hammers to £30m. A loan deal for Carl Jenkinson is likely to cost around £1.5m, while Remy and Cabaye are both sitting at around £12m. The £15m price tag for QPR striker Charlie Austin is too high for the Hammers.
Highly-rated Besiktas midfielder Arslan would do well to come in should Downing leave, and while he recently arrived in Turkey for a deal of €450,000, the £7m from Downing could cover a transfer fee for the 24-year-old German.
If West Ham are to seriously bring in all of these targets, then Downing and his £7m price tag should happen to balance the books for the Hammers. Football is a business, after all.
More speculatively, there have been reports that Downing has served notice on his house. While it could be that Downing is moving to a new roomier estate closer to the Olympic Park, perhaps, I will bring up the timing of this move during increased speculation for a move back to the North-East. Is he moving out? While the Boleyn Insider believes the revitalised central midfielder is not for sale, £7m is a price that raises eyebrows, and is very hard to refuse.
£7m is an amazing deal and if either Sunderland or Leicester offers it, West Ham must accept. While Downing did have his best year as a Hammer last season, the profit made from his sale is worth it for the club, should West Ham be able to sign all of their targets. Even though Stewie Downing is magic, he wears a magic hat, at 30 and for £7m, selling is the best idea for West Ham.
