OPINION
As well as there being a whole host of new names through the door at West Ham this summer, there were also some exits both from the first team and the reserve side.
The likes of Cheikhou Kouyate, Reece Burke, Sam Byram and Edimilson Fernandes have left east London on a mix of permanent deals and loans, and while the Hammers might not have made the best start to the season, the departed are hardly missed.
Another who was let go of this summer was young midfielder Domingos Quina, the 18-year-old heading to Watford for what Sky Sports reported as a £1million deal as he headed into the final year of his contract with the Irons.
It has not taken long for the central starlet to make himself known to those outside the London Stadium and Vicarage Road, putting in a show stealing display against Reading in the FA Cup with a stunning strike in the Hornets’ 2-0 League Cup win over the Royals – and making the Hammers’ transfer error clear as day.
What. A. Hit. ??
Watford's Domingos Quina hit this absolute thunderbolt on his debut as his side beat Reading 2-0 in the Carabao Cup. ?
Match report: https://t.co/XCtcBwcpMQ pic.twitter.com/e3am8D3obD
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 29, 2018
While the goal will be all anyone talks about – and for good reason – the 18-year-old put in an accomplished display against Reading, demonstrating the energy, desire and technical capabilities which saw him rated highly by West Ham.
Yes, some will argue it was a display against a much changed Championship side struggling in the second tier, but that does not take away from the fact that this was an 18-year-old running the show against experienced names.
West Ham will be gutted to have seen his true potential shine through so early in his Watford career, and they will know letting him go will likely come back to bite them.
Be it not getting him tied down to a contract, or letting him go for a higher fee than what has been reported, the Hammers made a blatant blunder over Quina, and for a club so proud of producing talent for the first team in their academy it will be a real kick in the teeth.