West Ham have been handed a major £60 million boost in their bid to sign a game-changing talent this summer but Nottingham Forest now want him too.
The Hammers are in a holding pattern in the summer transfer window so far with the club insisting there is no money for signings until sales are made.
Nottingham Forest went into the summer off the back of a superb season where they finished seventh – but agonisingly missed out on Champions League football by just two points.
Despite disappointment at missing out on returning to European football’s top table, Forest will be looking to emulate West Ham next season by winning the UEFA Conference League.
West Ham have been regressing ever since that achievement.
Role reversal for West Ham and Nottingham Forest
Now it is down to Graham Potter to rebuild an under-performing side to get the Hammers back competing in the top half of the Premier League again with the likes of Nottingham Forest.
Potter is looking to completely reinvent West Ham as a team.
The key to that is ripping up the club’s ageing, ineffective and immobile midfield.
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Individually, West Ham’s midfielders are decent enough players in their own right.
But many are far too similar and do not complement one another to forge a side capable of competing for Europe.
West Ham United FC v Nottingham Forest FC - Premier League
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Nottingham Forest’s midfield is night and day by comparison.
Proof that West Ham are looking to a younger profile of player in the middle of the park comes in their response to links with Josh Brownhill.
The Hammers flatly denied any truth to links with soon-to-be free agent Brownhill, who turns 30 next season.
Instead, younger, more dynamic midfield talents with differing attributes are on West Ham’s radar.
Players such as Genoa’s Morten Frendup, Club Brugge’s Moises Caicedo-esque lynchpin Raphael Onyedika, RB Salzburg’s Mamady Diambou, AC Milan’s Yunus Musah and Anderlecht’s explosive Mario Stroeykens.
Potter wants to transform West Ham’s ageing midfield
But another top class all-action midfielder has been consistently linked with West Ham since Potter took charge.
Now West Ham have received a £60m boost over the game-changing star but Nottingham Forest want to hijack the move.
Palmeiras’ midfield talisman Richard Rios has been attracting serious interest from east London.
The Hammers have been heavily linked with Rios since Potter’s arrival in January.
It has been stated that box-to-box talent Rios would ‘totally transform West Ham overnight’.
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However, a move for the Colombia international, who is currently starring at the Club World Cup, has looked something of a pipedream for the Hammers.
Not least because he has a reported £85m release clause.
West Ham’s record signing is £51m Lucas Paqueta. And that won’t be beaten anytime soon given the club is pleading poverty over PSR.
There have been two huge developments regarding Rios, though.
West Ham get £60m Rios boost but Forest want to hijack move
Because the Palmeiras reporter at Globo, Thiago Ferri, claims the Brazilian club – from whom West Ham signed Luis Guilherme for £20m last summer – are now looking to sell Rios for just £25m.
And that figure is most definitely within West Ham’s reach – just as soon as they can make some sales themselves.
Ferri confirms West Ham have previously bid for the 25-year-old and that the club remains interested.
The problem is, Give Me Sport, reckon Nottingham Forest want ‘freak athlete’ Rios too.
And as evidenced in previous windows, money is not a problem for Tricky Trees chief Evangelos Marinakis.
With money available and European football to offer, that poses a very real threat to West Ham’s hopes.
It would be galling for Potter to miss out on such a quality midfielder to Forest when he is available for just £25m.
Hammers fans can only hope a sale or two is on the horizon so they can, at the very least, throw their hat in the ring for Rios.