OPINION
The January transfer window is open and business is already in full swing – not least at West Ham.
The Irons wasted no time in getting their first deal under their belt, with Samir Nasri joining on a free transfer until the end of the season after his ban from football for an anti-doping violation.
An attacking midfielder by trade, the Frenchman has not arrived at the London Stadium to sit on the bench and will be angling for a regular first team role for the second half of the season – but what could it mean for the rest of the Hammers’ business?
Well, it no doubt acts as a blow to their chances of signing up Blackburn Rovers’ dazzling maestro Bradley Dack, with the Sun having reported that Manuel Pellegrini’s side were keen on snapping up a deal for the 12-goal star this month.
With a fee of £20million slapped on Dack’s head, the Hammers might think they have got the better deal but in reality Nasri’s capture was a self-inflicted blow which will only have them regretting it if and when the Blackburn man eventually moves to the Premier League.
The free agent is on a short term deal with a view to a longer contract but at 31-years-old and with 18 months missing due to his ban, how long he can last in the Premier League remains to be seen.
Meanwhile Dack, 25, is still growing as a player and will continue to draw the attentions of top flight sides until someone stumps up the cash – a decision they will not regret.
West Ham missed out on James Maddison to Leicester City after the Guardian reported an Irons bid this time last year – Nasri’s arrival spells a similar fate for their pursuit of Dack and it is another transfer twist they will regret down the line.