Aaron Cresswell, a full defender for West Ham United, is being courted by Wolverhampton Wanderers. The teams are reportedly talking about a £5 million deal for the former England international, who is understood to be an eager transfer candidate aged 33.
In light of the transfer rumors, Cresswell missed his team’s 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur yesterday while on a preseason tour of Australia with West Ham. Wolves are looking at possibilities for Rayan Ait-Nouri, who started just nine league games in 2022/23 and might be loaned away. Cresswell moved to West Ham from Ipswich Town in 2014, and since then, he has made 331 appearances, contributing 37 times in the process of 10 goals and 10 assists.
Last season, Cresswell, a former Rovers defender, contributed to his team’s UEFA Conference League victory, the team’s first European title since 1965. However, he has been more used as a substitute, and with West Ham wanting for a younger left-back, he has initiated discussions with Wolves, where he will reunite with former Hammer Craig Dawson. Amd Wolves are willing to spend roughly £2.5 million for the seasoned full-back.
The team has inquired about a number of players’ availability during this window. The departure of central midfielder Manuel Lanzini and the loss of captain Rice to Arsenal for £105 million ($137 million) necessitate the hiring of reinforcements by manager David Moyes. Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, however, have put a cap on the club’s purchasing power after it spent £160 million on eight players last summer.
Current State Of Play At West Ham
The 2021–22 season, which was a season played under the previous rules, is represented by the most recent set of West Ham’s accounts at Companies House. However, if we apply these numbers as a guideline for the 2022–2023 campaign, it becomes clear that West Ham would have been in good shape had the new regulations been in effect. They made £253 million in income and paid out over £100 million in salaries to players and coaches.
The season’s amortization charge, or the price of their most recent transfer expenditures, was £49 million. The following campaign, 2024–2025, is when things could start to tighten up. The club will be confident that it can increase turnover well above £250 million, but squad expenses might well be in the neighborhood of £200 million, exactly around the 80% mark.
Although the sale of Rice significantly enhances revenue, the summer of 2022’s spending binge’s impacts are still felt in terms of amortization and salaries. In the upcoming years, most teams will face difficulties as a result of UEFA’s new FFP policy, and West Ham is no exception. As a result, do not anticipate the club making significant purchases in the upcoming weeks. West Ham made a £45 million bid for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha yesterday, but Fulham turned it down.
The 28-year-old scored four goals in 40 appearances in all competitions in 2022–23 after switching teams to Marco Silva’s squad from Sporting Lisbon last summer. Considering Rice’s move to Arsenal, West Ham is not anticipated to make a second bid and will instead focus on other players as they attempt to enhance their team.
