Despite only making a few signings this summer, the overall feeling towards the transfer window for West Ham supporters this year was that it was roaring success.
Club-record signing Sebastien Haller has hit the ground running with three goals in the Premier League already and Pablo Fornals has too shown early signs of promise with his creativity and attacking drive.
Yet it has recently been revealed that the Hammers could have cranked their summer signings up to 11 in a recent interview on the continent.
Ajax right-back Joel Veltman admitted to Dutch outlet NOS that West Ham were interested in signing him over the transfer window, however, the Dutch giants shut down any move away from Holland
The 27-year-old defender said: “Everyone knows that I would like to play abroad again. West Ham United was interested, but there were more clubs. However, Ajax put a stop to it. I was not allowed to leave.”
Although the fullback was limited to just 14 games last season in large part due to an ACL injury, there is no question that Veltman, who is valued on Transfermarkt at £6.3m, would have been an outstanding signing for West Ham and a significant improvement over the likes of Pablo Zabaleta and Ryan Fredericks.
Comparing Veltman’s 2017/18 numbers, his last full season, with the West Ham right-backs last campaign with numbers from WhoScored, it is immediately easy to see that the Hammers missed out on a player who could have dramatically improved their always questionable defence.
The Dutch international averaged more tackles per game than both Zabaleta and Fredericks with 2.8 per match compared to 1.8 and 2.5. Veltman also won more offsides per 90 minutes at 0.5 compared to the West Ham player’s 0.3 each.
As well as defensively, Veltman thrives in the attacking stats. The 27-year-old right-back averaged more shots and key passes per game than Zabaleta and Fredericks, as well as winning more fouls and losing the ball fewer times due to bad touches.
With Veltman immediately returning to the Ajax first-team last season after his lengthy injury spell and retaining his right-back spot this campaign, the Hammers seemingly missed out an ideal improvement on their current options at right-back, and the signing of the Dutchman would have made an already impressive summer transfer window that much better for Hammers supporters.
