Graham Potter wants to re-sign his old forward for West Ham for £25.5m+
Graham Potter has been around the top level of English football long enough now to regularly cross paths with former players while at West Ham United.
This has of course included his loan deal for Evan Ferguson in January, which has failed to work out with the striker to whom he handed his senior Brighton & Hove Albion debut in 2021.
Potter is not deterred, however, from reuniting with former players – as he eyes a fresh target with whom he worked in his previous job at Chelsea.
West Ham join race for Omari Hutchinson
Alongside the recruitment staff and the board, Potter will join forces at West Ham to look to strengthen the squad effectively rather than merely on paper.
The Hammers spent around £120million last summer only to wind up 17th in the Premier League as the run-in ebbs to an end.
It is down in no small part to the lack of capability of the three promoted clubs from the Championship that West Ham were not embroiled in a sickening relegation dogfight. The closest of them is already-relegated Ipswich Town on 22 points.
While much of the focus on Ipswich’s outgoing transfers is on Liam Delap regarding his £30million exit clause, Potter is keen to bring winger Hutchinson to the London Stadium (CaughtOffside, 4 May).
The Hammers head coach managed Hutchinson at Chelsea, and said of the then-teenage forward in the 2022-23 season that he was a “dangerous” player who “showed his quality” (Evening Standard, 12 December 2022).
Hutchinson, now 21, has five goal contributions in the Premier League for Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich this season and the Tractor Boys are thought to be demanding in excess of £25.5million to prise him from Portman Road.
Potter will have no hiding place after signings made
Potter has demonstrated himself down the years to be a coach of immense quality, but he has been so far shackled since joining West Ham.
The head coach, having turned down several jobs between his stint at Chelsea and returning to London with the Irons, is convinced by the project presented by the board – and this year has been one of stagnation at best.
After he has stamped down his own imprint on the Hammers’ imminent summer transfer window, he will be judged more transparently.
| POS | Premier League table | PLD | PTS | GD |
| 16 | Tottenham Hotspur | 34 | 37 | +6 |
| 17 | WEST HAM | 34 | 36 | -19 |
| 18 | Ipswich | 35 | 22 | -41 |
| 19 | Leicester | 35 | 21 | -47 |
| 20 | Southampton | 35 | 11 | -57 |
West Ham must be mindful of PSR but are still expected to make moves in the off-season, as they aim to get their long-term European push back on track.
For now, the Hammers meet Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (4 May) – another side so far off the pace in the Premier League this term, their one saving grace coming via the Europa League semi-finals.