January's worst transfer? West Ham to sign Eredivisie flop for €40m

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 27 Jan 2025 12:32 GMT
• 4 min read

West Ham United made an ambitious offer for Aston Villa’s red-hot striker Jhon Duran in the middle of the January transfer window. By the end of the month, though, Graham Potter’s side were scrambling around to sign Brian Brobbey from Ajax.

A deal is set to be struck around the €40 million mark – a huge price for a player surplus to requirements at his current side.

Brobbey is expected to arrive at the London Stadium overpriced and under-skilled for the task at the Premier League club, according to Frank de Boer, who is something of an expert in the matter having lasted just four top-flight matches as Crystal Palace manager in 2017.

It is, nevertheless, an alarming downgrade for the Hammers. Duran, who was always liable to prove well outside their reach, is one of the hottest properties in England. Ajax, meanwhile, can’t believe their luck to get such a lucrative move for Brobbey.

READ MORE: Premier League January transfers 2025: All the Done Deals

Compared

Brian Brobbey

F (C)

Ajax

Brian Brobbey

F (C)

Ajax

VS

Jhon Durán

F (C)

Aston Villa

Jhon Durán

F (C)

Aston Villa

2024/2025

Season Statistics

2024/2025

29	Appearances	26
4	Goals	12
7	Assists	0
11	Shots On Target	25
22	Key Passes	6
1354	Minutes Played	976

“I find it unbelievable. If you can only score one goal in the Eredivisie, I find that very, very poor, to be honest,” De Boer said before stressing that the difference in level between the Netherlands and England is enormous.

“If you can’t do it in the Eredivisie… the Premier League is such a big difference. How many times have we not heard of strikers who left for the Premier League?”

Brobbey will just be the latest name to disappear into that black hole, De Boer fears.

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Brobbey behind Weghorst

One major red flag over Brobbey’s form is the fact that he has fallen behind Wout Weghorst in the pecking order. Weghorst, of course, is infamous for scoring only two goals across 37 Premier League appearances for Manchester United and Burnley.

Dutch football expert Milan Keskin explained: “He’s no longer guaranteed a starting spot at Ajax due to the arrival of Weghorst and is under significant pressure.

“Brobbey's poor season at Ajax raised fears of a financial loss, as he has struggled to score goals. As a result, West Ham’s interest has come as a real surprise. No one expected Brobbey to leave for such a high fee. I think many supporters would have been more than satisfied with half the amount that’s being talked about.

Brobbey was re-signed by Ajax from RB Leipzig in 2022 for €16.4m, despite the fact he failed to net a single goal for the Bundesliga side.

His fortunes have flatlined in Amsterdam since, with his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) comparatively stable between €16-20m over the course of his stay at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

There has been nothing to suggest that he is a €40m attacker, with this price tag apparently appearing out of West Ham’s sheer desperation to find someone to fill their No.9 spot.

Cause for optimism

One saving grace does, however, appear for Graham Potter’s side. Brobbey appears well suited to the club.

Data analytics firm SciSports give the Hammers a Club Fit score of 79. Only four clubs score higher. Current club Ajax only get 72, for example, while they also rate better than Manchester United, who are also said to have an interest in the player.

Perhaps this will be the key to unlocking Brobbey’s best form, but doubts cast about the wisdom of this move appear to be well founded, and it would be a real masterstroke from Potter if he were to prove a success. Certainly, he is no Jhon Duran.