James McAtee bids farewell after confirmed West Ham news
West Ham United’s summer transfer business has continued beyond the deadline after missing out on several key targets.
Graham Potter strengthened his side late in the transfer window with the signings of Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa on 29 August, taking West Ham‘s spending beyond £125million as a result.
Callum Wilson scored his first West Ham goal in their 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest prior to the international break, but he and fellow free transfer Daniel Cummings are their only additions in attack.
West Ham had lined up a move for James McAtee as Pep Guardiola prepared to sanction the winger’s departure from Man City in the summer, but they were soon overtaken in the race and Forest eventually signed McAtee for £30m on 16 August.
West Ham confirm Wes Foderingham departure
Igor Julio’s arrival on a season-long loan from Brighton had seemingly finalised West Ham’s business for the summer transfer window, but several other European leagues are still able to make their own moves.
The Cypriot First Division is one of those leagues still open after the UK window closed on 1 September, and Aris Limassol have added to their contingent of British players with the signing of Wes Foderingham.
Foderingham only signed for West Ham last summer following his release by Sheffield United, and was pictured in Aris Limassol’s kit in an Instagram post which revealed that his transfer didn’t involve a fee.
Alongside Oli McBurnie and Chris Basham, McAtee was another one of Foderingham’s former Sheffield United team-mates to congratulate the goalkeeper on his move, as he said: “All the best mate”.
West Ham turn to free agent market after Wes Foderingham exit
Football Insider Verdict
Signed to be West Ham’s third-choice goalkeeper last summer, Foderingham never made a first-team appearance for the Irons and was behind Alphonse Areola and Lukasz Fabianski in the pecking order.
Fabianski had already departed at the start of this summer and new signing Mads Hermansen took his number one shirt, but Foderingham’s left-field departure leaves West Ham short of a back-up keeper.
West Ham have opened talks to re-sign Fabianski and bring him back into the told, and with other free agents like Dele Alli and Patrick Bamford still available, Potter could look to explore this market further with the transfer window now closed.