Graham Potter shut down move for Nations League winner in favour of sealing Evan Ferguson deal – report | OneFootball

West Ham United’s pursuit of a new striker took another twist on deadline day as manager Graham Potter personally decided against signing RB Leipzig ace Andre Silva.

According to BILD journalist Christian Falk, West Ham were already in advanced talks with Leipzig over a loan deal for Silva, and the Portuguese striker was keen on the move.

The Hammers were desperate to bolster their attacking options after losing Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug to long-term injuries, and Silva was seen as an ideal stop-gap solution.

However, despite the club’s initial progress in finalising a deal, the move never materialised, with Potter pulling the plug in favour of a reunion with Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson.

West Ham’s search for a striker has been frantic, with the club linked to an obscene number of players across Europe.

They failed with bids for Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran and PSV Eindhoven’s Ricardo Pepi – although they seem to have dodged a bullet with the latter, who has been sidelined for three months.

They were also linked with Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi, Benfica’s Arthur Cabral, and Ajax’s Brian Brobbey, among others, but Silva seemed the likeliest to join.

Both clubs had reportedly agreed on the basic structure of the loan, but Potter was more focused on getting a deal for Ferguson over the line, and he got his man.

Potter was right to pull the plug on Silva

Silva would have been a decent signing for West Ham.

The 29-year-old has plenty of experience under his belt and has won three major trophies, including the 2019 UEFA Nations League with Portugal.

However, he has been a shadow of himself over the past couple of years and has struggled for playing time under Leipzig manager Marco Rose.

There was no telling how he’d adapt to the rigours of Premier League football, but with Ferguson, West Ham have a young striker who is already familiar with the English top flight.

Many are tipping him to recapture his goalscoring form at West Ham under the guidance of the manager who gave him his senior debut.