“West Ham’s Jaw-Dropping Plan to Snag ‘UNBELIEVABLE’ Star COLLAPSES in Last-Second Betrayal to Premier League Rivals!”

West Ham United were reportedly lining up a bold swoop for an “outrageous” talent before ultimately missing out, as Aston Villa secured the player’s signature in dramatic fashion on deadline day.

The Hammers did get some business done, finalising a loan move for Brighton & Hove Albion defender Igor Julio to strengthen their back line.

While that deal added depth to David Potter’s defensive options, questions remain over whether West Ham’s transfer window as a whole can be considered a success.

Former striker Dean Ashton has been one of the more outspoken critics of the club’s recruitment work this summer.

He highlighted the lack of a clear strategy behind the deals, stressing: “The recruitment’s been so shoddy, especially when you change managers and style of football.

You have to be so aligned at board level to make sure that recruitment is absolutely spot-on for the manager you’ve got in place.”

Despite a slow start to their window, West Ham made progress in the latter stages. They secured the services of 21-year-old midfielder Soungouto Magassa from AS Monaco, while Mateus Fernandes also joined from Southampton. However, Fernandes’ signing has been met with some scepticism.

The young Portuguese playmaker has yet to establish himself in the Premier League, having featured for a Southampton side that collected only 12 points in total last season.

With that in mind, many feel the Hammers might have been wiser to pursue a proven Premier League midfielder.

That was precisely their plan earlier in the summer, as they looked to strike a deal for Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott. The 22-year-old, who has been praised by scout Jacek Kulig as “outrageous,” was high on their list of targets in August.

Yet, as the deadline approached, Elliott instead opted to join Aston Villa. He completed a loan switch to Villa Park, which also contains an obligation to buy set at £35 million.

The lure of playing for a club competing in the Europa League was always going to be hard for West Ham to match, but missing out still represents a major blow.

Elliott is far more established at the top level than Fernandes, with the former Fulham starlet even scoring a memorable late winner against Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s Champions League. Still, Fernandes has already shown flashes of promise in claret and blue.

Thrown straight into action against Nottingham Forest, he impressed on the left wing, winning six duels — the second-highest tally among West Ham players.

Former Southampton midfielder Jo Tessem has previously hailed Fernandes’ determination, remarking: “Every week he plays his heart out, he is by far the best player on the football pitch from a Saints perspective.”