There’s been no shortage of enthusiasm for Liverpool’s Harvey Elliot following a high-profile performance with England at the u21’s European Championships. Alongside Manchester City’s [James McAtee,](https://www.claretandhugh.info/mcatee-links-could-have-double-benefit-as-paqueta-d-day-draws-near/) Elliot was a standout success and it was baffling to hear that like McAtee he is destined for the transfer market this summer. Both are hugely talented young players and would be a first choice for most sides in the Premier League.
Liverpool have priced West Ham out of the market place for Elliot – however much Hammers fans would like to see him at London Stadium. £40 million plus a buy back clause – or a straight £50 million – is the price quoted according to [nytimes/athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6459308/2025/07/01/transfers-man-utd-arsenal-liverpool/?source=emp_shared_articlehttps:/www.nytimes.com/athletic/6459308/2025/07/01/transfers-man-utd-arsenal-liverpool/?source=emp_shared_article) is beyond West Ham’s means. Whether they will be successful in finding anyone to agree to those demands is questionable – but if you don’t ask, you don’t get and the Reds don’t have an urgency to sell, unlike West Ham.
From a West Ham perspective, the wait for Lucas Paquetá’s innocent (hopefully) verdict – and should it arrive in time, it may still influence negotiations for James McAtee – Guardiola is known still to want the Hammers’ Brazilian playmaker and West Ham would do well to snag McAtee as part of the deal.
Similarly Carney Chukwuemeka or Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could yet be bargaining chips in any Kudus to Chelsea negotiations. West Ham’s midfield needs mean that reinforcements are not an ‘option’ but an absolute priority: Liverpool’s less high profile Tyler Morton, linked just yesterday, may yet turn out to be the best of the bunch and a more affordable West Ham target.
All young, English, talented and surplus to requirements at the existing clubs. Frankly, we’d settle for any of them!