West Ham United are eyeing a move for an England international as they look to rebuild under Julen Lopetegui, it has been claimed, with the Hammers in desperate need of reinforcements.
West Ham lose again
After an impressive 2-0 win over Newcastle United, West Ham's feel-good factor was promptly shattered as they were thrashed 5-2 by Premier League hopefuls Arsenal at the London Stadium. The Gunners were 4-0 up inside 36 minutes, and despite a small West Ham fightback before half-time, they never looked like giving up that advantage as plenty of home fans left early in disgust.
Soucek-Bowen-Soler-West-Ham
And, speaking on Sky Sports, Gary Neville slammed Lopetegui's tactics, dubbing them utter madness: "It’s just utter madness. When you’re 3-0 down against Arsenal just hit it long into Antonio. They can’t get out. I just don’t understand it.”
The result leaves the Hammers languishing in 14th place in the Premier League, with defeat to Arsenal being their sixth already this season, the same number as Everton, Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town.
Lopetegui, already the holder of the unwanted record of being the first West Ham boss to lose each of his first three home games in the Premier League, is under pressure ahead of a run of fixtures in which the Hammers will be expecting to pick up plenty of points from sides around and below them.
West Ham's next five Premier League games
Leicester City (Away)
Wolves (Home)
Bournemouth (Away)
Brighton (Home)
Southampton (Away)
Now, West Ham are reportedly keen to bolster a defence that has conceded 24 goals so far this season, the joint fourth-most in the division.
West Ham eye cut-price England international
That comes according to reports in Italy, which put West Ham firmly in the frame to sign AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori in 2025. The England international has seen his stock fall at San Siro, and has lost his place in Paulo Fonseca's starting XI, seeing just 11 minutes of action across the last six Serie A games as Malick Thiaw and Matteo Gabbia have overtaken him in the pecking order.
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[West Ham must axe £125k-p/w flop who was dubbed a "massive signing"](https://www.footballfancast.com/west-ham-must-axe-danny-ins-who-was-dubbed-a-massive-signing/ "West Ham must axe £125k-p/w flop who was dubbed a "massive signing"")
West Ham must ensure one of the club's highest earners is given the boot.
With two and a half years left on his £72k a week deal in Milan, Tomori could well be sold in a bid to raise funds to strengthen elsewhere, and all of Juventus, Newcastle United, West Ham and Aston Villa are credited with an interest in the 26-year-old centre-back.
Though Milan demanded 30m euros (£24m) to part ways with the defender in the summer, it is claimed that the Rossoneri ‘could settle for less’ now after failing to attract a bidder.
A return to the Premier League could offer Tomori a better chance of returning to the England squad, where he has been consistently overlooked since his move to Milan, and West Ham could offer him regular first team football in his home-city.
Tomori would certainly add strength to the Hammers' backline, which has looked increasingly fragile in recent weeks despite the summer arrivals of Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo, neither of whom have been huge successes in the early stages of their West Ham careers.