West Ham United are approaching £200million in reported summer outgoing packages, but the real judgement on their transfer window will come from what happens next. El Hadji Malick Diouf’s £40m move towards completion leaves another gap in Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad, while several positions already required attention before the left-back became the latest major departure.
West Ham have added Championship experience and young talent this summer, but a promotion campaign lasting 46 league matches demands considerably more than a strong starting XI.
The remaining days of the window must now turn a hugely profitable summer of sales into a balanced squad capable of surviving injuries, rotation and the pressure of an immediate Premier League return.
West Ham transfers must start with replacing Diouf
Left-back has moved rapidly from a possible requirement to one of West Ham’s clearest priorities.
Brentford have agreed a package worth £35million plus £5m in add-ons for Diouf, with The Guardian reporting the deal as West Ham’s latest major post-relegation exit.
ReadWestHam covered the breakthrough in our £40m Malick Diouf transfer update.
Ollie Scarles gives Nuno a natural option on the left, but asking the youngster to carry the position throughout a Championship promotion campaign would represent an unnecessary gamble.
West Ham need another specialist.
The club had been linked with Angers defender Jacques Ekomie, but that route now appears difficult after FourFourTwo reported that Wrexham had moved ahead in negotiations for the Gabon international.
That should force Nils Koppen’s recruitment team towards alternatives rather than leave the position unresolved.
The profile matters more than simply finding another body. Nuno needs a full-back capable of defending transitions while still giving West Ham width against Championship teams likely to defend deep.
Replacing Diouf should therefore sit at or very near the top of the final-week agenda.
Defensive midfield could become West Ham’s biggest weakness
Arne Engels has strengthened central midfield, but he does not remove the need for a natural defensive presence.
West Ham’s full summer transfer tracker already identified defensive midfield among four positions requiring further attention.
That requirement becomes more significant while Edson Álvarez’s future remains unresolved.
Álvarez remains one of the squad’s few experienced natural holding midfielders, but he has attracted interest away from east London. Soungoutou Magassa has also struggled for involvement during the opening weeks of the campaign.
That leaves Nuno relying heavily on midfielders with different strengths.
Lewis Orford showed exactly why he deserves continued first-team involvement during Tuesday’s 4-1 Carabao Cup win at Southampton. ReadWestHam’s analysis of Orford’s performance highlighted his 90 per cent-plus passing accuracy and creativity from set-pieces.
Orford should not have to become something he is not.
The 20-year-old can progress possession and dictate play, while Engels offers movement, creativity and goal threat. West Ham would benefit from placing a specialist defensive midfielder behind those qualities rather than asking one of them to sacrifice his strengths.
A reliable No.6 could become the signing which makes the entire midfield function better.
Centre-back depth cannot depend on versatility
West Ham’s central defensive situation also remains unresolved.
Joel Veltman provides invaluable experience and can play centrally, but his versatility creates a problem of its own. Every time Nuno uses him at centre-back, he loses one of his main alternatives to Kyle Walker-Peters on the right.
Axel Disasi will not provide the solution.
The French defender spent last season on loan at West Ham but has now joined Crystal Palace. Reuters confirmed Palace completed Disasi’s season-long loan from Chelsea.
Jean-Clair Todibo’s future has also generated uncertainty during the window.
West Ham cannot head into September relying upon circumstances working perfectly.
One injury or departure could quickly leave Nuno moving players across positions simply to complete his defence.
West Ham had previously identified Leicester City’s Ben Nelson as a possible alternative, with ReadWestHam reporting interest in the highly-rated £12m defender.
Whether Nelson remains the answer is less important than solving the position itself.
A promotion favourite should not enter a 46-game Championship season hoping its centre-back depth remains healthy.
West Ham still need another natural winger
West Ham have improved their attacking options considerably.
Manor Solomon gives Nuno proven Championship quality after playing an important role in Leeds United’s promotion campaign, while Tottenham confirmed Solomon’s permanent move to West Ham.
Jarrod Bowen remains the attack’s central figure.
Behind those two, however, the picture becomes less secure.
Divine Mukasa offers creativity across several attacking areas, but he should not automatically be treated as a direct replacement for Crysencio Summerville.
Mukasa naturally wants to receive the ball inside and create. Summerville’s departure removed a winger capable of carrying possession down the flank and isolating defenders.
West Ham have already recognised that difference.
The Standard reported that the Hammers approached Arsenal over Reiss Nelson, while ReadWestHam also covered an £8m bid for Viking winger Edvin Austbø.
Neither deal has reached completion.
Another winger would not necessarily need to arrive as an automatic starter.
The priority should instead be giving Nuno enough pace and one-versus-one ability to change matches without forcing Bowen or Solomon to play every meaningful minute.
That matters during Saturday-Tuesday Championship schedules where fatigue quickly becomes a problem.
Ajala changes the striker equation but does not settle it
Another striker looked like an obvious priority earlier in the window.
Joël Piroe’s arrival from Leeds has changed that calculation.
West Ham confirmed Piroe joined on an initial season-long loan with an obligation to buy, adding a forward with 73 Championship goals across four seasons.
His debut goal against Charlton immediately demonstrated why West Ham wanted him.
Tuesday then produced another development.
Joshua Ajala scored twice on his first senior West Ham start at Southampton and has suddenly given Nuno a credible young alternative.
ReadWestHam examined why the teenager’s dream debut forces Nuno to reconsider his attacking options.
That performance should affect West Ham’s thinking.
It would make little sense to spend heavily on another striker simply because the position appeared on a recruitment list earlier in August.
Piroe, Taty Castellanos and Pablo already give Nuno senior options, while Ajala has earned the right to remain around the first-team picture.
Another striker could still make sense if the right opportunity appears.
It should no longer rank above left-back, defensive midfield, centre-back or another winger.
West Ham cannot judge this window on money raised
West Ham’s transfer window has already produced enormous numbers.
Mateus Fernandes left for £85m. Crysencio Summerville’s Al Hilal package could reach £60m. Freddie Potts generated another significant fee, while Diouf is now heading towards Brentford in a deal worth up to £40m.
Those packages approach £200m.
That does not mean West Ham have £200m sitting in a bank account waiting to spend.
Transfer instalments, existing liabilities, wages and the financial consequences of relegation all reduce that simplistic calculation.
ReadWestHam recently examined the financial consequences West Ham could face if their promotion bid fails, including the sharp drop in broadcasting revenue outside the Premier League.
Nuno therefore does not need reckless spending.
He needs intelligent spending.
West Ham have already shown they can recruit with purpose. The club described Arne Engels’ arrival as a Championship-record transfer, while Solomon and Piroe bring direct experience of winning promotion from this division.
The next stage requires the same clarity.
Left-back now needs immediate attention. A defensive midfielder could restore balance. Centre-back depth remains vulnerable. Another natural winger would protect the attack. A striker has become the lowest of the five priorities after Ajala’s breakthrough.
West Ham have succeeded in extracting significant value from their outgoing players.
The final judgement on the summer will depend on whether Nuno receives the balanced squad required to turn that money into promotion.
