The big conundrum

OK, I got a little too excited yesterday about Adriano. He's not coming to West Ham. Adriano favors a move to Lazio, which made the group stages of the Champions League, and doesn't want to leave Italy. This is where these transfers all get tricky for West Ham. To reach European football, West Ham have to improve their team, but, at least in the transfer market, to improve their team, West Ham have to be able to hold out the prospect of European football. Offering lucrative wages isn't enough on its own.

The Irons are renewing their efforts to acquire younger midfielder Giles Barnes from Derby County, upping their bid to £5 million, according to the Independent. Left-back Nicky Shorey seems likely to come to West Ham from Reading, provided the Irons increase their offer by a million pounds, to £6 million. Shorey is the likeliest to happen before the summer window closes on Friday. Barnes is close to being fit and that deal could happen this week, too, with the Hammers probably motivated by Kieron Dyer's broken leg. Adriano will have to remain on the wish list for January.

I'm going out of town Friday, so I probably won't be able to write about the conclusion to the summmer transfer window in a timely fashion. I expect to be able to watch the match away to Reading, however, and will follow up with a post on that, although perhaps not until Monday.