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This is all rather strange, isn't it?

West Ham are acting smart in the transfer market after the captures of Ryan Fredericks, Issa Diop and Lukasz Fabianski, the last two of that list arriving in the last 24 hours.

The Hammers also aren't being held to ransom by Lazio and their bombastic owner and president Claudio Lottito, who is demanding way over the odds for Felipe Anderson despite the player indicating he wants to join the Hammers.

More on that later, but to the here and now, first.

At the start of the summer, there was a checklist for new manager Manuel Pellegrini and the positions he needed to strengthen.

Goalkeeper? Check. Right back? Check. Centre back? Check. More is needed, but the signs are promising.

The injury to Manuel Lanzini has thrown a spanner in the works a bit as that obviously wasn't planned for as the Argentine was key to the tactics Pellegrini wanted to employ

The Hammers have arguably strengthened in all those three positions in which the new arrivals play - Fredericks offers more depth and competition for Pablo Zabaleta, Issa Diop is a hugely promising 21-year-old who captained Toulouse for two years and Fabianski saved 70 per cent of the shots he faced for relegated Swansea last season.

That's down to the work of Pellegrini, new director of football Mario Husillos and, to an extent, David Sullivan.

(Image: West Ham United FC/West Ham United via Getty Images)

Husillos has been giving quotes to the media over the signings of Diop and Fabianski, that's telling and both of have his handprints all over them. Husillos has mentioned their styles of play, even the distribution of the Polish keeper as well as his shot-stopping ability.

Gone are the days of scattergun approach to transfers, trying to find the obscure South American second division striker to sign on a year-long loan from a club no-one has ever heard of. Under Pellegrini, things now seem more measured. He and Husillos have worked together before and know what they are doing.

Other players linked, such as Alfie Mawson, the aforementioned Anderson, goalkeepers like Jack Butland, show the duo are thinking smart, long-term and fitting in with the ethos Pellegrini wants to instill.

Also, look at how the club is dealing with Lottito and Lazio. The Italians said they wanted £30m plus add-ons, it was offered and then rejected. The club then offered £34m and a whopping £37m and both have been rejected, with West Ham getting hugely frustrated in their attempts to sign the Brazilian. They won't be held to ransom.

It's a bit different than botching the William Carvalho deal last summer when the club wouldn't go anywhere near the market value of the player. Pellegrini and Husillos know what Anderson is worth, have told that to the co-chairman and they won't go any higher. Anderson can force their hand by handing in a transfer request, so who knows what might happen.

(Image: West Ham United FC/Getty Images)

They are also wary of taking another player from relegated Swansea in the shape of Alfie Mawson, who is also recovering from a knee injury. Again, they won't go over the odds, likely £25m, but no more than that.

Diop's transfer was seemingly thrown into doubt over agent fees, which football.london understands were extortionate but the fact is, any money paid to agents will be taken out of their client's pockets in wages. After being threatened with that, Diop signed a five-year deal.

A number of top clubs had Diop watched but it was West Ham who made the move, made the right offer and, eventually, got their man. Fredericks didn't need to leave Fulham particularly having been promoted to the Premier League, but he was lured in by the cache of Pellegrini. Even better, they got him on a free.

The squad still needs a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and a winger, maybe a striker too, but the three deals done so far by the new-look team have instilled a semblance of positivity.

The manager and Husillos are keeping their cards close to their chests in terms of targets, they want to act swiftly and covertly to get deals done. Gone are the days when the club is linked to 300 players a summer, it's all more lowkey.

(Image: Simon Hofmann - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Supporters' insatiable appetite for transfer rumours will never waiver but the club isn't appealing to that any more.

The proof will be in the pudding of course come August 11 at Anfield when the Premier League season gets underway, but it's certainly exciting to see what Pellegrini has got up his sleeve next.

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