Summary West Ham United will not overpay for players this summer despite selling Declan Rice for a record fee. The club has had a slow start to the transfer window, with the Rice deal taking 17 days to be announced. West Ham's key targets include Joao Palhinha and Edson Alvarez, but valuations and competing clubs have presented challenges in securing these signings.

West Ham United will not overpay for players this summer, Paul Brown has told FootballFanCast.

The club recently sold club captain Declan Rice to Arsenal for a record fee, and are expected to delve into the market to strengthen with them funds.

What have West Ham done so far in this window?

It has been a slow start to this window for the Hammers.

The transfer involving Rice took dragged on and on, taking 17 days to be announced after the deal was agreed in principle on June 28th. During that time, the Irons were not able to agree any deals for players, with clubs waiting to see how much money the London side would have to work with.

Fulham's Joao Palhinha has been a key target for the club, with the Conference League winners wanting the Portuguese player as one of their replacements for the outgoing Englishman. However, there is a massive discrepancy between the two club's valuations of the player, with the Cottagers valuing their player of the year at £90m, whilst the Hammers only value the midfielder at £45m, which Fulham rejected.

The club also pursued a potential deal for Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes, however, due to the Rice sale dragging on, Newcastle United and Eddie Howe swooped in and managed to convince the forward to head to Tyneside this summer.

According to David Ornstein, the Hammers are also set to submit an offer for Ajax defensive midfielder Edson Alvarez. The Mexican was heavily linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund earlier on in the window, however, that move collapsed, opening the door for David Moyes and West Ham to swoop in and make their move.

According to Brown, Moyes and owner David Sullivan refuse to pay over the odds for players this window despite selling Rice.

What did Paul Brown say about West Ham this window?

Speaking to FootballFanCast, Brown stated: "Yeah, the Rice deal does mean that clubs are going to be asking West Ham to pay a premium for their players because everyone knows that suddenly they have a vastly increased budget.

I don't think West Ham are going to be in a position to pay over the odds for anyone in this window. I don't think David Sullivan or David Moyes will allow that to happen."

Who will West Ham sign this window?

West Ham have to make at least two signings in their midfield this summer to replace Declan Rice's output.

Alvarez would be a really smart signing, especially if the fee is in the region of £35m as was reported. The Ajax man has some incredibly impressive defensive numbers in the midfield, excelling as a "progressive thief" according to @SawkurGod. The former Chelsea transfer target also is an incredibly impressive passer, with his 83.91 passes attempted and 88.7% passes completed being elite-level numbers.

Palhinha would be another strong, experienced option for the Hammers. The Portuguese man led the league in tackles made with 147. That was ahead of second-placed Moises Caicedo who could only manage 100 last campaign. The defensive midfielder has disappointing passing numbers, however, should the club manage to bring in Alvarez, they could have an incredibly balanced midfield pivot, who complement each other's games perfectly.

With a Europa League campaign on the horizon, the Hammers will hope to get their business right this season to build on the incredible high of last season.