Striking Legend to Return to West Ham

As July progresses the silly speculation reaches a ridiculous peak as boredom levels reach new highs. At this stage many Hammers fans are gagging for a signing.....any signing....to ease their craving for contentment that our rise as a major club will continue. However, unlike the desperate shoppers who panic buy in the last ten minutes before the shops close, we need to observe caution. There is very little real value out there until the final few days of the transfer window when people settle for what's realistic rather than aspirational.

The Carlos Bacca transfer saga should be viewed as uplifting. Our board refuse to be manipulated and are once again proving that they are canny negotiators. There's still plenty of time to snap up suitable replacements for Valencia and Sakho, neither of whom have actually departed yet and both of whom are more than decent enough to keep at the club if that's how it pans out.

Bacca is 29 and Colombian. The really big clubs would need to create space for him in terms of Non-EU squad places, not to mention his remarkable wage demands. This is a big move for him. He deserves time and space to get it right. We don't want an unhappy and expensive squad member.

As for Gomez and Zaza, did they really look that good in the Euros? Personally, I hope Sakho stays as he potentially has it all if he can get his head sorted.

Nine years ago today we snapped up Freddy Ljungberg from Arsenal....he cost us more than a million a goal. Let that be a reminder that it pays to be patient. As the wise old saying goes......slowly, slowly catchy monkey.

If all else fails we could always re-sign Carlton Cole....seriously, it's only a season or two since that was the most realistic plan B...how things are changing!