West Ham United have made an offer to sign a forward who they were actually chasing as far back as 2021, as co-chairman David Sullivan looks to support now-official new manager Graham Potter with potential signings.
West Ham announce Graham Potter as new manager
On Wednesday afternoon, the Hammers confirmed Julen Lopetegui’s dismissal as head coach after just six months in charge, and it didn’t take long for the club to officially announce Potter as the Spaniard’s heir.
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An exit is seemingly beckoning.
The tactician was out of work since April 2023, following his sacking by Chelsea, but is now back in the dugout and ready to try and turn around West Ham’s dismal fortunes under his predecessor.
Potter has put pen to paper on a two-year contract at the London Stadium, and he will take charge of his first West Ham game in the FA Cup against Aston Villa on Friday.
“I am delighted to be here,” said Potter after taking the West Ham job. “It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me, and equally that I was the right fit for the Club I am joining. That is the feeling I have with West Ham United.
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West Ham’s next five Premier League fixtures |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Fulham (home) |
January 14 |
|
Crystal Palace (home) |
January 18 |
|
Aston Villa (away) |
January 26 |
|
Chelsea (away) |
February 3 |
|
Brentford (home) |
February 15 |
“My conversations with the Chairman and the Board have been very positive and constructive, we share the same values of hard work and high energy to create the solid foundations that can produce success, and we are on the same wavelength in terms of what is needed in the short-term and then how we want to move the Club forward in the medium to long term.
“West Ham United is a huge Club, at the heart of London, with a tremendous fanbase and great support all around the world. I saw the scenes that followed their Europa Conference League victory in 2023, and it was clear that this is a Club with everything in place to become consistently successful, both on and off the pitch.”
With their managerial situation now resolved, attention turns to January, as West Ham seek to sign a new forward before deadline day on February 3.
West Ham make offer to sign Benfica star Arthur Cabral on loan
According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, via Sport Witness, Benfica attacker Arthur Cabral is back on their radar. Interestingly, the Brazilian was a target for David Moyes, with West Ham holding meetings over Cabral as far back as 2021 – during his time at FC Basel in Switzerland.
Now, it appears Sullivan and technical director Tim Steidten have returned to the bidding for his services, and it is believed West Ham have tabled an offer to sign Cabral on loan with the option-to-buy.
Serie A side Torino have done the same thing, but Benfica rejected both of their approaches – insisting that any temporary deal must include a mandatory purchase option. The Primeira Liga heavyweights want the buy-clause to be set at around £12.5 million, which doesn’t seem like much on the face of it, but Cabral hasn’t exactly been prolific over the last two seasons.
That being said, the 26-year-old centre-forward did finish 2022/2023 as the Europa Conference League’s top scorer with seven goals – the year West Ham won the competition.
