da heads bet： In today’s game, there is so much talk and speculation surrounding what players are actually worth.
da doce： Some will argue that a player is only worth what another club is prepared to for him but it’s difficult justify that when said player never goes on to justify such a fee.
West Ham have been the victim of that theory on several occasions in the past, it could even be argued as recently as the summer transfer window just gone, but they’re certainly not the only ones and definitely won’t be the last.
The Hammers have been very vocal in their attempts to progress to the proverbial next level in recent years, their new stadium as been the cornerstone of such ambition, which means they’ll need the personnel to ensure it’s possible on the pitch.
West Ham do have a good squad, even if they haven’t been on form so far this season, but are they worth and have West Ham got their money’s worth from their ten most valuable players right now?
We’ve taken a look at Transfermarkt.com to find out who their most valuable players are in terms of market value and looked in to whether they exceed the transfer fee paid for them or not.
Be prepared for a few surprises in here, as some would say these players are seriously undervalued…
10. Andy Carroll – £8.5m
Andy Carroll arrived at West Ham on a permanent deal worth £14.88m after a relatively decent season on loan from Liverpool.
That was back in 2013 and, since then, the England international has struggled with a string of injuries. He’s now valued at less than £10m for the first time since he was Newcastle in 2011.
9. Winston Reid – £8.5m
Winston Reid signed for West Ham in 2010 after switching from FC Midtjylland in a deal worth just £3.57m – now he’s worth over double that following six successful seasons in east London.
8. Diafra Sakho – £10.2m
Diafra Sakho came very close to not signing for the Hammers when the club threatened to pull out of his £4.25m deal from FC Metz in the summer of 2014.
He did sign in the end and went on to become a key striker for the Hammers over the last two seasons. An apparent rift with the club in the summer, as well as a back injury, means he is yet to feature this season.
7. Aaron Cresswell – £10.2m
Aaron Cresswell’s £4.04m move from Ipswich Town in 2014 currently looks like one of the best bargains in Premier League history.
Before his pre-season injury left him out of the beginning of this campaign, the left back had only missed one game in two full seasons in the Premier League, and was being touted for a potential England call up.
He’s now rated at over double what West Ham paid for him, and you’d expect him to command a much higher transfer fee should the club ever decide to sell.
6. Cheikhou Kouyate – £10.2m
As one of West Ham’s best players over the last two seasons, it’s difficult to understand how West Ham only managed to pay Anderlecht just £6.38m for his services in 2014.
However, some would say he deserves to be rated a lot higher given his performances in West Ham’s midfield since arriving.
5. Gokhan Tore – £11.9m
Gokhan Tore is only on loan at the club, but the Hammers do have an option to buy him in the summer should he impress.
It’s not clear what that figure is, but you’d bet it’s considerably more than his £11.9m market value, even if he is yet to convince anyone that he’s worth spending even a penny on.
4. Sofiane Feghouli – £11.9m
The Algeria international arrived on a free from Valencia in the summer and has so far struggled with injury and form, though he is expected to eventually force his way in to a regular starting XI role.
But the fact his market value currently stands at £11.9m, you’d have to say West Ham have nabbed something of a bargain here.
3. Simone Zaza – £12.75m
Simone Zaza is another one of West Ham’s loan players and the club also have an option to make his stay permanent if he impresses.
Zero goals in five appearances so far hasn’t exactly convinced anyone he’s worth holding on to but his market value of £12.75m means he’ll cost a fair bit in today’s transfer market.
2. Andre Ayew – £15.3m
West Ham broke their club-record to sign Andre Ayew from Swansea in the summer, paying the Welsh side £20.49m for his services.
However, he picked up a thigh injury just 20 minutes in to his debut and is yet to return to full fitness. That said, he should go on to become an important player for the Hammers this season and beyond.
1. Dimitri Payet – £25.5m
It’s no surprise that Dimitri Payet is the highest valued player at West Ham right now.
The France international took the Premier League by storm last season, as well as the Euros in the summer for France, and his market value of £25.5m means the £10.7m West Ham paid Marseille for him already looks an absolute bargain.