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Potter needs reinforcements | Getty Images
West Ham are said to be in talks over a possible swap deal this summer.
Juventus continue to circle West Ham as they look to snatch away one of their centre-backs this summer. Throughout the summer so far we have seen talk of interest from the Old Lady in Hammers star Nayef Aguerd, and the latest report suggests there could be a swap deal in the works.
This summer is a big one for Graham Potter, who needs to manage significant improvement going into the new season after a disappointing first few months in charge. Potter arrived in January and didn’t manage any real progress between the winter window and the end of the season, though he was not given the chance to put his own stamp on his squad.
That opportunity will arrive this summer, although the Hammers are also battling to keep hold of the likes of Aguerd and Mohammed Kudus, who have been linked with a move away.
Aguerd has been with West Ham since 2022 but he spent last season on loan with Real Sociedad, making 21 league appearances during that spell. The Moroccan was a £30million signing for the Iron, and he was a key part of their Conference League win.
According to Sky Italy, Juve are interested in snapping up Aguerd, and they are willing to part ways with Daniele Rugani to make it happen. Rugani is a year older than Aguerd, at 30, but he has more top-level experience having made 117 league appearances for Juventus. He has won five Serie A titles and many other trophies with the club. The report claims West Ham are interested in Rugani and that a swap deal is being discussed in the way of talks.
Though, Aguerd has previously made it clear that his dream is to play in LaLiga, where he played last season. He told Marca: “Yes, I had the dream of playing in LaLiga and wanted to learn Spanish so I'd be ready if the opportunity arose. That's why I started studying a few years ago, when I was 23 or 24, and now it's been a good thing. LaLiga is widely followed in Morocco, and I've wanted to do it since I was little. I'm happy to have made that dream come true.”
Aguerd’s journey
Aguerd had a long journey from Morocco to European football, and reflecting on his path, he told the West Ham website previously: “In my childhood, I joined Kenitra FC, then I went to the Mohammed VI Academy, then Rabat FC and today I am at West Ham! The Academy means everything to me. It opened a door for me and for any Moroccans, African or Arab player to dream of. It is a high-level Academy that I joined.
“I want to thank my coaches, who helped me a great deal and did a job that we as Moroccans cannot forget. The Academy produced big players for the national team like Youssef El-Nesyri, Azzedine Ounahi, Abdelwahed Wahib and Hamza Mendy. There are a lot of players who gave something to the national team and the Mohammed VI Academy opened the door for them and me to be a professional player. I spent five fantastic years in the Academy.”
He added: “After my training at the Mohammed VI Academy, I was a student for four years in Al-Fath Sportive (Fath Union Sport), and it was important for me to play in the Moroccan Championship and learn. Walid Regragui did a fantastic job as coach and now, of course, he is our national team coach.
“Nothing changed in Walid. He is still the same and this is his strength. He knows what he wants. Walid was my coach from 2014 in at Fath and then he knew what he wanted and never changed. He always had a career plan as a coach. The things he did in Fath, he also did with Duhail FC in Doha [by winning the Qatar Stars League], and this is why we reached the World Cup semi-final.”
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