Why Preston North End must still be laughing at £10m West Ham transfer | OneFootball

Jordan Hugill played just 22 minutes of Premier League football

Preston North End pocketed a staggering amount for Jordan Hugill's move to West Ham United, in a deadline day deal that saw the Hammers desperately overpay.

Then-Hammers manager David Moyes had just watched Diafra Sakho complete his long-awaited departure to Rennes for £8m, leaving the Scotsman short of attacking options with hours remaining in the 2018 January window.

"We want to bring people in who can contribute," Moyes stated three days earlier, assuring fans that he has the board's backing to spend money on "right players."

Alex Neil revealed selling Jordan Hugill to West Ham United was a "good thing"

Preston manager Alex Neil was initially reluctant to part with his star striker, having previously rejected a transfer request from Hugill the previous summer.

Neil had insisted in the December just gone, "People think as we've signed Louis (Moult), Jordan will leave.

"That's not the case," he added, showing the club's intention to keep their 25-year-old forward.

However, when West Ham's £10m offer arrived on deadline day, it was a club record transfer for the Lilywhites.

"It's done and we just need to focus on the games we've got remaining," Neil told BBC Radio Lancashire after the deal was confirmed.

"We're not a club that's commanded huge amounts of transfer fees in the past and we're not a club that's spent huge amount on transfers.

"What we've done is sold one of our players but we've sold them for a record transfer fee in the club's history and I think that's a good thing," Neil concluded.

Jordan Hugill's nightmare at West Ham

The stats surrounding Hugill's West Ham career make for dismal reading.

The striker managed just 22 minutes of Premier League football across three appearances, effectively costing the London club £3.33m per match. Understandably, Hugill failed to contribute to any goals.

"In whatever I do, I give everything," Hugill had declared upon signing, promising "nothing less than 100%. Unfortunately, his commitment just wasn't enough for a Championship-level striker that was probbaly expected to adapt to Premier League level overnight.

Despite scoring 30 goals in 114 appearances for Preston - a respectable but hardly inspiring record - it was clear from the outset West Ham's desperation had got the better of them.

Preston signed Jordan Hugill for just £25k from Port Vale

Preston had signed the striker from Port Vale for around £25k in 2014, with Vale securing a 20% sell-on clause.

The £10m fee received shows the Lilywhites made a return on Hugill of 40,000% - arguably the most successful piece if transfer business in their modern history.

Neil admitted that Hugill's head had been turned by West Ham's interest, but who's to blame him? "When that type of cash is flung at you then it's naturally going to turn your head."

After his West Ham failure, Hugill went on loan spells at Middlesborough and Queens Park Rangers - his time with the latter proved the most successful, as he scored 15 goals in 41 appearances.

Norwich City decided to sign Hugill permanently in 2020, for a fee that could've risen to a reported £5m - West Ham probably would've been delighted to get around £5m back at least.

Looking back, Preston getting £10m for Hugill becomes even more impressive considering the striker now plays in League One with Rotherham United.

So far this season, he's not scored in nine appearances across all competitions (as of Sep 10th 2025). In fact, he's only scored 11 league goals in his previous two-and-a-half seasons with the Millers.

He arrived in Yorkshire on a free transfer after being released from the Canaries in 2023. So, it's fair to say that PNE perhaps still can't quite believe they managed to fleece West Ham for what they did.