Preston absolutely fleeced West Ham for £10m striker in 2018 | OneFootball

When Jordan Hugill signed for West Ham in 2018, it raised a few eyebrows, even more so when the price of £10million was revealed. Six years on from the deadline day deal, it's clear that Preston North End absolutely fleeced West Ham.

Hugill is a pretty competent Championship striker and has proved a useful addition for most clubs he has played for throughout the division.

The 31-year-old enjoyed his most successful football with Preston, where he made more than 100 appearances across four seasons after joining from Port Vale in 2014.

Hugill spent his first season at Deepdale playing in League One, but made just six appearances before going out on loan to Tranmere Rovers and Hartlepool United. The striker returned to Preston with the club in the Championship. He made 108 appearances across two and a half seasons, scoring 28 goals in the process.

In the first half of the 2017/18 season, Hugill scored eight for the Championship side, the most productive of his career, before West Ham came calling on deadline day of the January transfer window. The Hammers paid £10million for the striker, as per the BBC, despite Hugill only having scored 45 senior goals in 159 appearances, including a loan to National League side Gateshead and time spent in League Two.

Jordan Hugill's time at West Ham

After his £10million move, Hugill spent half a season with the Hammers, making just three appearances and failing to score entirely.

The striker was then shipped out on loan, first to Middlesbrough where he scored seven goals in 41 games, before being sent out on loan again the following season, this time to QPR. Hugill enjoyed a more successful time with QPR, scoring 15 goals in 41 appearances, including 13 Championship strikes.

The striker's unsuccessful time with West Ham came to a permanent end in August 2020. Hugill left London for East Anglia, joining Norwich City for a reported £2.5million.

Hugill's move to West Ham can only be described as an utter failure. The signing of the former Preston man cost the Hammers around £3.33million per match and resulted in a £7.5million loss on the striker's departure.

Since leaving the Hammers, Hugill has managed just 19 goals in 131 league and cup appearances, with his most successful spell coming during the 2022/23 season for Rotherham United. Hugill scored five goals in 18 Championship appearances for the Millers, helping them to survival.

Whilst the signing of Hugill was a resounding failure for West Ham, it has also done nothing to help the striker's footballing progression.

Now 31, the Englishman appears to have gained nothing from his brief Premier League stint, other than regular moves around Championship sides.

Just one party involved in the move has seen success from it: six years on from the sale of Hugill, Preston have absolutely fleeced West Ham, receiving £10million for the striker who scored just 30 times for them.

The move represents excellent business for the Lancashire side, whilst proving a last-minute, panic signing on deadline day won't always be successful.