David Sullivan has nowhere to run after £75m West Ham United news. David Sullivan simply must reinvest into the West Ham United squad during the January transfer window.
The 4-1 loss against Manchester City on Saturday (4 January) leaves Julen Lopetegui on the brink of dismissal, and his future in East London will be dependent on the outcome of the FA Cup third-round tie against Aston Villa [talkSPORT].
However, the finances at the London Stadium leave plenty of wiggle room to strengthen in January – as per The Swiss Ramble (6 January), the Irons recorded a £57million pre-tax profit for the 2023/24 accounts, a £75m improvement compared to the previous year’s £18m loss.
Regardless of who is West Ham manager when the window slams shut on 3 February, Sullivan has no excuses should he not improve the squad this month.
West Ham United need to improve the squad in January. Despite concerns Tim Steidten’s ultimately unsuccessful summer spending spree would leave little money left in the January kitty, West Ham are in a strong financial position in terms of these most recent published figures.
The Hammers are essentially debt-free after repaying the outstanding MSD facility [The Swiss Ramble, 6 January], and a driving factor in the exceptional profit stems from the increase in player sales rising from £17m to £96m.
Steidten could also be given a significant transfer influx, with Manchester City preparing to submit an “irresistible” offer for Mohammed Kudus this month and could recoup close to his £85m release clause in January.
West Ham are rooted in the bottom half of the Premier League table and are only seven points clear of the relegation zone – significant investment is necessary.
West Ham United sporting director, Tim Steidten
With Michail Antonio out for the season, Jarrod Bowen sidelined for months, and Niclas Fullkrug not truly living up to expectations in East London, a top-quality forward to lead the line could transform Lopetegui’s fortunes.
The Irons are also missing a quality central midfielder to dictate the play at the London Stadium, and those two positions must be addressed in the coming weeks.
Whether or not Sullivan decides to pull the trigger on further signings after the summer remains to be seen, but he will certainly have nowhere to hide should he opt for the pragmatic approach.
In other West Ham news, Tim Steidten can save his job at the Irons with an ‘intelligent’ forward signing.
