Manuel Pellegrini, working alongside director of football Mario Husillos, have set about moulding the West Ham United squad in their image.
The duo have been in fine form over the past 12 months when it comes down to securing some exciting signatures, with Pablo Fornals just the latest to join that list in a move that had Spanish football expert Guillem Balague describing him as ‘brilliant’ on the club’s official website.
Indeed, alongside the likes of Issa Diop (already linked by Sky Sports with a big-money move to Manchester United) and Felipe Anderson (touted with Liverpool by the Daily Mail in May 2019) last summer, the Irons do appear to have an impressive transfer strategy these days.
However, it would seem as though they never had a chance in signing Joan Jordan this summer.
According to a report by Marca, West Ham are believed to have submitted a proposal for the midfielder but he ultimately decided to remain in Spain and join Sevilla instead.
Jordan was interviewed about his move to the Andalusian outfit and it appears as though he had no desire of joining anybody else after they made contact first.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, he asked him directly about the rejection of West Ham’s offer, he said: “I had other offers (than Sevilla’s), some from abroad with a lot more money, but I’ve always said that I value a lot of things, and not just money. From Sevilla’s first serious call, both my agents and I valued it strongly.
“It’s an option I really liked, and when they started making moves, I said that I wanted to come and here I am. I’m thankful to Eibar for all they did. I spoke with them and they knew I wanted to come here and we all needed to all make an effort. I made it clear that either I came to Sevilla or I came to Sevilla.”
Although it seems as though West Ham had no chance of signing him, it should still come as a blow to the Hammers that they were unable to secure a deal for him – one that could have only cost them €15million (£13.3m) because of the release clause in his contract (Marca).
WhoScored value his traits as dribbling, taking long shots and his ability to play the ball on the ground and, clearly, he has an eye for a defence-splitting pass, as evident with his four assists in his 38 appearances across all competitions (Transfermarkt).
Prior to his permanent move to Everton, the Guardian claimed Pellegrini was desperate to pair Andre Gomes alongside Declan Rice, so it’s perhaps fair to assume midfield improvement is still required, with Fornals operating largely (19 times) as a No.10 last season. To that end, Jordan might have been ideal, considering the fact he operated in both a traditional central midfield (20 apps) and a more defensive role (5 apps), much like Gomes (4 and 20 respectively), last season.
Hammers, will missing out on Jordan come back to bite you? Join the discussion by commenting below…
