20 Mar 2021 20:30:30
Ed's, is there any truth in the "nikola Maksimovic has agreed to join West Ham in the summer" reports I've read online?

29 years old, Serbian international who currently plays for Napoli. Not sure what to make of it, free agent in the summer so is he to cover the squad position of Balbueba who's set to move on a free?

Have we completely given up on the idea of Caleta-Car from Marseille or Milenkovic from Fiorentina? (both linked with Liverpool and Manchester United respectively, so may be long shots any way) .

{Ed002's Note - I am not aware of any agreement but it would make sense as he will be out of contract. Maksimovic is a well respected player.}

1.) 24 Mar 2021
24 Mar 2021 16:31:09
Hardly the Red Bull approach that's been oft touted but as you say, he's a decent player and on a free is sensible business.

What I'm not so enamoured with are the rumours linking us to freebies Marega, Aboubakar and Lundstram. The first two are 30 this year and aren't exactly prolific in defensively inferior leagues, so I'm highly doubtful either would have much, if any success in the PL.

As for Lundstram. meh, he's proving this season exactly why Everton had him running around in Leagues 1 and 2 for so many years before finally offloading him to Oxford. Nowhere near good enough to be a PL player despite one flash in the pan season last time out.

More worryingly, you'd have to suspect that he'd be being eyed as an alternate for Rice rather than Noble. Could you imagine the uproar in the Summer if Rice goes for big money and we sign Lundstram on a free as a replacement?!

{Ed002's Note - I am not sure what you mean about Red Bull.}

2.) 24 Mar 2021
24 Mar 2021 16:49:47
The Red Bull model that Moyes bangs on about, younger players for the future etc. To quote the man himself:

“I don’t see our model that we should go and buy all the most expensive players in the world, because I don’t see that as a long-term future for West Ham, ” he said.

“I use the Red Bull model as an example, because I see them buying in young players for the future. "

Nikola Maksimovic may well end up being an astute signing but he's in no way, at 30 this year a younger player for the future. That was what I meant by the Red Bull comment.