Self-styled ‘Special One’ Jose Mourinho has added a special touch to a bold move to try and stop one of Graham Potter’s top targets joining West Ham or Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Legendary manager Jose Mourinho – who has been linked with both West Ham and Wolves in the recent past – is currently in charge of Turkish club Fenerbahce.
But his incredible pull is still swaying transfers – and that will be of serious concern to West Ham and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Premier League is expected to be at its most competitive level for years next season.
Many are predicting the survival target to be back around the 40-point mark after two seasons where the three promoted clubs went straight back down without so much as a fight.
Summer window could dictate survival for West Ham and Wolves
That will worry the Hammers and Wolves, who only just squeaked above 40 points last term.
West Ham and Wolves were two of the clubs grateful the bottom three were so bad again last season.
Wolves have already sold their two best players with Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri leaving for Manchester rivals United and City respectively.
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The Hammers meanwhile are desperate to sell players to raise funds for their own signings.
West Ham and Wolves will undoubtedly be in a group of teams vying to steer clear of relegation next term.
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC v West Ham United FC - Premier League
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So the business Graham Potter and Vitor Pereira do in the summer transfer window has arguably never been so vitally important.
Missing out to one another for key targets could have grave consequences.
West Ham fans are already furious at the club’s financial position.
Wolves may be losing top stars but they do at least now have an abundance of cash for Pereira to rebuild.
While the Hammers wait for sales, that gives Wolves an advantage over them in the bid to sign a mutual transfer target.
Potter and Pereira in battle for striker Guessand
With no European football, neither club can seriously hope or expect to attract top stars and both will be shopping in a similar market place.
Potter has stated he wants younger players who can grow together as a team and in terms of their future resale value.
To that end he and head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay have identified a host of targets fitting that profile.
A new striker is a top priority for both West Ham and Wolves.
Lille OSC v OGC Nice - Ligue 1 McDonald's
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And that has put the two clubs on a collision course for Nice star Evann Guessand.
West Ham identified Guessand as a top target as soon as Macaulay arrived at the London Stadium in January.
The Hammers have monitored Guessand’s performances and it is claimed initial talks were held about signing the 23-year-old Ivory Coast star.
There are good relations between West Ham and Nice after the £32m deal for Jean-Clair Todibo.
And the French club’s manager Franck Haise even admitted Guessand will be sold amid interest from the Hammers and Wolves.
The Hammers looked to have suffered a major blow when Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett revealed Wolves have been pushing hard to beat West Ham to Guessand.
Mourinho has zoom call to stop star joining West Ham or Wolves
But there has now been a major development.
Because Mourinho has hosted a zoom call with the top Potter target in a bid to stop him joining West Ham or Wolves.
In an update from Dorsett, it has been revealed that Guessand had a zoom meeting with Mourinho about a move to Fenerbahce after he instructed his club to make a £26m offer for the forward.
Dorsett says Wolves are monitoring the situation. But there are now fears Mourinho’s pull and the asking price might put Guessand out of reach.
If he’s out of reach for newly-minted Wolves then where does that leave penniless West Ham?
Guessand scored 14 goals and laid on nine assists for Nice last season and it has been reported that Potter and Macaulay believe the rangy 6ft 2in star has the technical and physical qualities to adapt to the English game.
A move to the Premier League and London would surely give the Hammers a big advantage – even taking into account the Mourinho pull.
But with no money to work with right now, West Ham are at risk of missing out.
There is some hope for the Hammers, though, with West Ham confirming ‘lots of interest’ in Mohammed Kudus.
Meanwhile West Ham could be closer to offloading Nayef Aguerd soon too.