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West Ham finished 14th in the Premier League last season and were one of the most underwhelming sides after spending a huge amount of money on transfers last summer.
Graham Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui in January but was unable to put on a much better show than his predecessor in the second half of the campaign.
Ahead of 2025/26, his first full season at London Stadium, the former Chelsea coach is expected to receive considerable backing in the transfer window and could look to sign a creative midfielder as well as a striker.
According to Italian journalist Eleonora Trotta, West Ham have identified an option for their engine room in Atalanta midfielder Raoul Bellanova.
Bellanova scored one goal and provided 11 assists for La Dea in 2024/25 but has a £34 million price tag which might dissuade the Hammers from acquiring him, as per the source.
That said, the 25-year-old has yet to ask Atalanta to leave the club and has a contract until June 2029, so the Serie A giants are in a very strong position to demand their asking price.
Bellanova’s signing too ambitious for West Ham
Raoul Bellanova is part of an exciting sporting project at Atalanta. Not only did his team give Napoli and Inter Milan a strong fit in the Serie A title race last season but has also secured qualification to the Champions League for 2025/26.
With that in mind, whether the 25-year-old will look to join West Ham without European football is doubtful.
On a related note, West Ham have already identified an alternative to Bellanova in Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika, whose transfer will be financially easier to execute than that of of the Atalanta midfielder.
The Hammers will face competition from Tottenham Hotspur for the Nigerian but will be confident about signing him by providing guarantees over game time.
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