11 August 2023 , 21:30
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David Moyes has rubbished claims that West Ham were slow out of the blocks in the transfer race and insists excessive price tags have repeatedly put them off targets.
After the Hammers sold captain Declan Rice to Arsenal in a £105m deal in mid-July, finding replacements has proven more difficult than anticipated.
James Ward-Prowse was this afternoon completing his medical ahead of £30m move from Southampton, while a bid for Harry Maguire has been accepted by Manchester United.
But it was only Thursday that they completed their first signing of the window - the Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez from Ajax for £35m.
“The prices have been pretty expensive,” Moyes said. “We bid for a few players very early on in the window. Those bids weren’t accepted but some of the clubs came back and said, 'We’ll take your money.' But we’d already moved on because they didn’t agree to what we thought was the correct offer.
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“One thing I can’t say about West Ham is they haven’t attempted to do any business. They’ve been really active in trying to get players in. But we’re also trying to get the correct value. Maybe now and again you might have to pay over the odds. But we were very fair in our pricing of the players in the early part of the window, that’s for sure.”
Moyes, who played down talks of division with the club’s new technical director Tim Steidten, also confirmed that West Ham have rejected an offer from Manchester City for Lucas Paqueta, with the Scot saying their bid was “not anywhere near” the East Londoners’ valuation.
James Ward-Prowse was in London for a medical on Friday ahead of a £30m move to West Ham. (Graham Hunt/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)Asked what fee West Ham would expect, Moyes said: “I'd have to blank that question because I don't know what the outcome is going to be.”
And while Moyes says Man City have the power to turn a player’s head “quite easily”, he is confident the Brazil midfielder has not been distracted enough to be kept out against Bournemouth this afternoon.
“I brought Lucas up to speed with everything I know,” Moyes said. “He's fully aware of everything. I explained to him where we're at, what's been said, so he knows exactly. There are a couple of football clubs in the world who could turn your head quite easily and Manchester City are probably one of them.”
Alvarez, who is yet to train with his new team-mates, will not feature against the Cherries and that could mean Flynn Downes lines up in midfield despite the potential of him moving to Southampton on loan for the season.
“It’s a possibility,” Moyes said. “I wouldn’t say it is something I am absolutely mad keen on because I think Flynn has done well but he wants to get more guaranteed playing time as well.”