Michael Edwards verdict issued as ‘Graham Potter’s West Ham transfer plan revealed’
West Ham are reportedly set to revolutionise the way they operate in the transfer market this summer after a long-standing reliance on agents.
The Hammers’ head of recruitment, Kyle Macaulay, is looking to sign players using a data-driven strategy similar to the one used at Brighton.
Macaulay and West Ham boss Graham Potter, who have a decade-long relationship, will look to hit the ground running over the coming months and improve on a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.
Agents such as Barry Silkman and Will Salthouse have assisted the club’s recruitment plans in the past, but a new direction is being introduced at the London Stadium.
The fast-moving market will test this new model immediately, as West Ham look to sell players such as Mohammed Kudus to raise much-needed funds for their intended targets.
But Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – claimed West Ham need to be careful not to become too reliant on a data-driven approach.
West Ham warned by Wyness not to ‘become a slave to the data’
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness suggested an over-reliance on data can detract from the need for “knowledge and experience”.
He had words of warning for Potter and his staff, and said while data has its place, it should not be considered “king”.
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Data these days is unavoidable. You’ve got to look at it, but when you become a slave to data then that’s a problem.
“Clubs can be over reliant on it, and I think you need that blend of football knowledge and experience and also a bit of data as well.
“Data shouldn’t be the king, but perhaps West Ham could use a bit more than they’ve had before.
“It all depends on who’s asking the questions of the data, who’s interrogating it and how it’s presented. That’s the danger. A fool can use artificial intelligence, but you’re still a fool if you’re not asking it the right questions.
“There’s a real skill in interrogating data, and that’s where I think Michael Edwards at Liverpool has shone. Everyone talks about Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford, and certainly they have done very well, but you’ve got to look at where they came from and how they’ve grown.
“Perhaps that data fits growth models rather than clubs that are established in the Premier League, but again, that depends on the questions you’re asking it.”
West Ham and Everton enter race to sign Southampton star
Meanwhile, Football Insider has revealed (5 June) that West Ham and Everton are among the clubs joining the race to land Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer.
Brighton are set to be joined by Everton, West Ham and Fulham in the race as the full-back, 28, prepares to walk away from Southampton for free on 30 June.
European clubs are also weighing up approaches for the two-cap England international.
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