West Ham are finally closing in on a solution to their Nayef Aguerd dilemma following fresh talks — and it’s a major boost for Graham Potter’s transfer plans.
The Hammers are in the midst of offloading Mohammed Kudus in a bid to raise funds for signings.
West Ham are holding out for at least £60m for Kudus with Spurs and Chelsea pushing to sign the Ghanaian.
The Hammers finally started getting active in the market last week with multiple bids launched for potential signings.
But cash is needed to close out signings.
A deal is waiting to be done with Slavia Prague for left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf.
West Ham have had two bids up to £17.5m rejected as Slavia hold out for £21.5m for the flying 20-year-old Senegal star.
Hammers window comes to life but cash needed to close deals
There was a huge development in that move over the weekend.
Slavia’s manager revealed Diouf was banned from training with his West Ham move almost certain.
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Signing a left-back ticks one priority position off Graham Potter’s list for his West Ham rebuild.
The Hammers boss also wants a new striker, two new central midfielders, a left-sided centre-back and a goalkeeper.
West Ham were suddenly linked with Parma and Japan ‘keeper Zion Suzuki over the weekend.
One report even claimed talks were advanced with the American-born star.
Parma are said to be holding out for a hefty fee, though, hence the need for West Ham to start generating cash as soon as possible from sales.
Centre-backs Konstantinos Mavropanos, Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman have struggled to convince for West Ham
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Potter wants a new centre-back to play alongside Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo.
The duo have failed to convince as a partnership and Potter feels they need to play in his preferred back three formation.
Ironically, West Ham have a left-sided centre-back on their books they paid £30m for just a few summers ago in the shape of Nayef Aguerd.
And the Moroccan international’s situation has muddied the water in east London somewhat.
There has been much speculation that Potter was keen to reintegrate Aguerd into his plans after a season on loan at Real Sociedad.
Major boost for Potter as West Ham near Aguerd solution
But Hammers News was the first to reveal Aguerd had no intention of returning to play for West Ham again.
The 29-year-old centre-back enjoyed a decent spell with Sociedad where his attributes were much better suited to the slower, less physical La Liga.
Sociedad and a number of other clubs have been linked with signing Aguerd permanently, with West Ham looking to sell for around £15-17m.
Aguerd requested not to return to West Ham for pre-season, which got underway on Monday.
While there has been no suggestion the Moroccan would go on strike, it remains to be seen whether that will be the case.
A number of other clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Roma, Juventus, Marseille and even Real Madrid have been linked with Aguerd.
Nayef Aguerd in action for Real Sociedad on loan from West Ham
Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images
However, one by one they have signed other centre-backs, putting a move for Aguerd in doubt.
Leverkusen have signed Jarrell Quansah from Liverpool while Marseille beat West Ham to free agent CJ Egan-Riley.
Now there has been a major boost for Potter as West Ham near an Aguerd solution after talks.
Last week, leading Hammers insider Sean Whetstone claimed the club will continue to reject any derisory offers for Aguerd and are content to keep him to be part of Potter’s squad next season.
Whetstone reiterated Potter likes the player and said he will be given ‘every chance to prove himself in pre-season unless a club meets a certain valuation’.
Given Aguerd struggled badly in the Premier League and failed to convince he was up to the required standard, that news concerned many Hammers fans.
The player’s attitude has also jarred with supporters given he has made it clear he doesn’t want to be at the club, even saying a clear goodbye when leaving on loan last summer.
‘Aguerd now Marseille’s next priority signing’
It appears the latest Aguerd leak from the board via Whetstone may have been brinkmanship, though, to force interested suitors to get serious.
If it was then it may have worked.
Because L’Équipe claim Marseille have held talks with the Hammers as Aguerd is now their priority signing despite the arrivals of Egan-Riley and Facundo Medina from Lens.
The report states Marseille know they have to act fast as other clubs are also circling for the West Ham outcast.
No fee is mentioned but it is claimed Aguerd’s Hammers wages also make a deal more difficult for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
Aguerd was well suited to the inferior level of Ligue 1, where he shone for Rennes and Dijon previously.
With Kudus potentially bringing in around £60m and now a deal for Aguerd very much on the cards, Potter could suddenly find himself with the majority of around £75m to spend.
And that’s before further expected sales of the likes of Emerson, Guido Rodriguez, Niclas Fullkrug and Edson Alvarez.