'It’s absolutely stupid' - West Ham slammed as club officially confirm player exit | OneFootball

FLW's West Ham fan pundit has criticised the club's decision to sell George Earthy

George Earthy has completed his switch from West Ham to Reading in the closing stages of the transfer market.

It has been confirmed by the League One side that the two clubs have agreed a deal for the midfielder as we approach the 1 September deadline.

The 21-year-old has spent time on loan at Bristol City previously, but is now set to take the step down to League One to join the Berkshire outfit.

Earthy made a total of 47 appearances in the second tier for the Robins, including 13 starts, and he was also an unused substitute last Sunday in West Ham’s 2-2 draw against Burnley.

But he has now completed a move to the third division on a permanent basis, with the player no longer a part of Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans.

The decision comes in the wake of Arne Engels arrival at the London Stadium from Celtic, and he is the second academy player to depart the club this summer after Freddie Potts’ move to Club Brugge.

West Ham criticised for George Earthy decision

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When asked about the sale of Earthy, FLW’s West Ham fan pundit Ryan Horn claimed that it was a bad piece of business to agree to sell another one of their promising, young academy products.

He believes that the midfielder, along with Potts, both could have contributed valuable minutes to Espirito Santo’s side this season, particularly given the importance of having depth at this level can be to a promotion bid.

“It’s absolutely stupid,” Horn told Football League World.

“I get Earthy will get consistent game time because he’ll be stepping down a league, he’ll shine, he’s got bags of potential, I really like him.

“I feel the same with Potts, why are we selling them? We need depth, they’re young, they’ve got experience in the Championship as well.

“Potts was Portsmouth’s player of the season when he was in the Championship, and we’ve sold him, bought Engels in — which is brilliant — and [Edson] Alvarez wants to leave.

“We need depth in the Championship, we struggle with depth in the Premier League, and in the Championship there are more games.

“I know we’ve got just under two weeks of the window left, but Marshall being sold as well, are we just selling all our youth players? I don’t get it, I really don’t.

“I do like that there are a lot of academy players being given minutes, which is brilliant, but I just don’t think it sends a good message.”

Earthy made a total of four Premier League appearances for the Hammers, all of which came as a substitute.

The 21-year-old’s last appearance for the club came in a 1-0 loss to Fulham last December, coming off the bench in the closing stages.

He has now made the switch to Reading, where Leam Richardson will be hoping he can help the club fight for promotion in 2026/27.

West Ham’s summer business

West Ham have been slow to get their summer business started, but have made some additions in the last couple of weeks, including Engels from Celtic.

Manor Solomon has also made the switch to the London Stadium, arriving from Tottenham Hotspur, while Joel Veltman has signed as a free agent.

Joel Piroe and Keiber Lamadrid are their other additions, with the former signing on an initial loan basis from Leeds United.

Next up for the Hammers is a home clash against Charlton Athletic on Saturday in a 3pm kick-off.

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George Earthy sale is best for all parties

Earthy could have played a role for West Ham this season, but it’s likely his game time would have been limited, and it wouldn’t have been beneficial for his development.

That he is dropping down to League One is a sign of how he is rated by the London outfit, and a move to Reading will give him the chance to compete regularly this season.

The Championship side have earned a fee for a player that was unlikely to feature significantly this season, and Reading have a youngster with the potential to become more valuable in the years to come.

It is disappointing for West Ham to see young players not being afforded more of a chance, but in this case it probably was the right move for all parties.