West Ham missed out on blockbuster £20m transfer - Taty Castellanos will be delighted | OneFootball

West Ham may rue missing out on a deal for Troy Parrott after his brilliant start with Real Betis.

West Ham were always expected to be big spenders in the summer transfer window following their relegation from the Premier League.

The size of the club, combined with the huge sales of El Hadji Malick Diouf, Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville, meant the Hammers were working with a budget that could dwarf most at this level.

However, even though they broke the league record to sign Arne Engels from Celtic, West Ham didn’t spend as much as some of their fans may have anticipated.

West Ham failed with ambitious move for Troy Parrott

But, that may not have been down to the hierarchy simply being unwilling to sanction big-money deals, as the Irons were looking to sign Troy Parrott.

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A move for the Republic of Ireland international was always going to be difficult to pull off, as Parrott has established himself as a top player in the Eredivisie after his performances with AZ Alkmaar in recent years.

Nevertheless, West Ham tried to convince the player to drop to the Championship, and it was reported that they were ready to pay above £20m for Parrott.

At one stage it seemed the transfer could happen, but ultimately the 24-year-old decided to move to Real Betis, who could offer Champions League football as well as playing in La Liga.

Troy Parrott has enjoyed fantastic start to life with Real Betis

That was understandable, as Parrott will want to test himself at the highest level possible, as it’s a short career, and he is joining a big club.

And, it’s fair to say that the ex-Spurs man has enjoyed the perfect start to life in Spain.

In just his third appearance in the green-and-white, Parrott came off the bench to score a late winner against Real Madrid, as the Andalusian outfit saw off José Mourinho’s Galacticos.

Then, in his first Champions League outing for the club, which was also his first 90 minutes, Parrott scored a brilliant winner at Lille to help the side to a huge three points in the league phase.

West Ham may have missed the boat with Troy Parrott

Of course, it’s still very early days, but Parrott’s start with Real Betis suggests he may be the one that got away for the Hammers.

Again, there’s no blame attached to the Londoners for that, but it’s certainly a blow, as Parrott could have been the long-term answer up top for West Ham.

The short-term aim for the club is to get back to the Premier League at the first attempt, but West Ham won’t want to overhaul the squad in the next window.

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So, a lot of the current crop will need to be able to handle the step up, and Parrott was a player who could potentially have been integral for the Hammers in the top flight.

Now, even with the resources at the club, Parrott may be out of their range, from a financial and sporting perspective, for a long time if he continues in this manner.

Taty Castellanos must step up at West Ham

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But, it’s not all bad news for West Ham, as they have some outstanding options in the final third, including Taty Castellanos.

Keeping the ex-Lazio man at the club was a major coup, and whilst he could’ve played in a front two with Parrott, it may have disrupted the balance of the team.

Furthermore, Castellanos appears to be the sort of figure that wants to be trusted, and, if Parrott arrived for £25m, he would immediately become the main man at the club.

Nuno Espírito Santo has shown a lot of faith in the forward since he brought him to the club, and even with Joel Piroe at the club, he will be expected to fire West Ham to promotion, along with Jarrod Bowen.