West Ham ‘need’ to follow Chelsea, Cole Palmer example with Brighton transfer | OneFootball

FLW’s West Ham fan pundit has commented on the Hammers being linked with a move for winger Amario Cozier-Duberry.

West Ham United will be putting their plans into action ahead of their return to the Championship.

The Hammers are preparing for their first Championship campaign since 2012 after coming 18th in the top-flight, missing out on safety by just two points.

Returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking is definitely something the East London outfit have to target given they are likely to have dominant financial resources compared to the rest of the division and could raise significant money through a number of player sales this summer.

The task now for the Hammers hierarchy will be to build a squad with enough quality and balance to navigate the challenges that a 46-game campaign brings, with there set to be a big difference in scheduling and physicality compared to the Premier League.

And one of the first ports of call for their transfer spending could be out wide, with West Ham reportedly interested in a move for Brighton & Hove Albion winger Amario Cozier-Duberry this summer.

As per a report by The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas states that Cozier-Duberry has been a long-standing target for West Ham. The winger currently has two years left on his contract at Brighton, while, of course, the Hammers will face competition from Bolton for his signature, who are keen to have him back on their books in the second tier.

With this in mind, FLW’s West Ham fan pundit has commented on the links to Cozier-Duberry and whether he would welcome him at the London Stadium.

West Ham must follow Chelsea, Cole Palmer example with Amario Cozier-Duberry

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Speaking to Football League World, West Ham fan pundit Ryan Horn believes the Hammers should pursue a move for Amario Cozier-Duberry, who could offer the squad both the depth and the attacking threat they need to score enough goals for a promotion push.

Ryan also admitted the Hammers need to be brave and take a punt on somebody like the 21-year-old, referencing Chelsea’s signing of Cole Palmer, who at the time wasn’t breaking through into Manchester City’s first-team.

Ryan told FLW: “I would definitely take him.

“He offers that attacking threat which we need to build up on, particularly when we’ve only got Bowen, Lamadrid and Summerville currently on the wing.

“We do need more depth. Again, it’s something we’ve lacked a lot over the last few years, and we’ve seen these types of players, like when Cole Palmer wasn’t getting into the Man City squad on a regular basis, and then they sold him, went on to be a starter at Chelsea and did amazing when they took a punt on him.

“People thought the same of James McAtee, who went to Forest, who West Ham were interested in, Omari Hutchinson left Chelsea and went to Ipswich, did really well, so there are these players out there that, instead of buying and spending so much money on a certain talent, we can pinch those players for decent value, and they’ll get the game time because we’re rebuilding the entire squad pretty much.

“Not to mention West Ham are a historic club in London, so I would definitely welcome this signing, 100%.”

Amario Cozier-Duberry would relish West Ham opportunity

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Amario Cozier-Duberry was such a potent force in League One last season and a big factor in Bolton’s promotion back to the Championship via the play-offs.

The Brighton loanee recorded 8 goals and 12 assists from 34 games in the regular League One term, while he showed his mettle in the play-offs by scoring in the first leg of their semi-final against Bradford City, before notching an assist in the final at Wembley against Stockport County.

This led to Cozier-Duberry landing the club’s Young Player of the Year award, and after such a stellar campaign at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, has shown the Championship should be his next calling card.

West Ham may well be about to offer him that opportunity, and while it will be a giant leap in terms of the size of the club and expectations, it’s something the wideman will relish, particularly when there’s a chance to be playing Premier League football during the 2027-28 season.

With the ability to create something out of nothing, be a livewire out wide and give opposition defenders headaches, Cozier-Duberry could be exactly the player West Ham need to get out of the Championship immediately.

His added creativity from out wide, as well as his talent to score goals consistently, means the Hammers should have enough of a spark in the final third to be situated towards the top end of the table with him on the books.

He could well have a monumental part to play if someone like Crysencio Summerville or Jarrod Bowen leaves the club, so it’s a move he will be very keen to explore and something that could work out for all parties involved.