West Ham have moved on from their pursuit of Angel Gomes.West Ham have moved on from their pursuit of Angel Gomes.
West Ham have moved on from their pursuit of Angel Gomes. | Getty Images
The OH Leuven midfielder was believed to be on the verge of joining West Ham in January for £13 million.
West Ham have resumed talks with January transfer target Ezechiel Banzuzi after widespread reports of transfer disappointment last week in the pursuit of England international Angel Gomes.
The Lille midfielder, who is out of contract at the end of this season and available on a free transfer, is believed to have rejected a contract offered to him by the Hammers. That deal was worth a reported £100,000 per week but it is Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham who are frontrunners for a deal with West Ham supposedly having accepted their fate.
Graham Potter could instead turn to 20-year-old Banzuzi, who was hotly tipped to make a move to the London Stadium in January. Recruiting young is set to be a priority for the ex Chelsea and Brighton boss this summer, who pointed to the importance of young talent in his first ever press conference when arriving at the club in January.
West Ham reignite talks for £13m target
He said: "The West Ham Academy is central to the club. The FA Youth Cup success in recent years suggests there are good players in the group. We also understand that supporters need to see youth players in the team. When looking at positions, we will always try to see if we can find solutions internally.”
Sky Sports had claimed in January that West Ham had reached a £13 million agreement with Belgian side OH Leuven for the player. Presenter David Garrido had said: "Graham Potter has made his first signing as the new West Ham boss. West Ham have agreed a deal with Belgian club OH Leuven to sign midfielder Ezechiel Banzuzi.
"The deal is agreed here for this player who is 19, and turns 20 in just a few weeks. The agreement is for £10million up front plus £3million in potential add-ons. Banzuzi is due to fly to England for a medical in the next 24 hours, so this one is on and it should be completed relatively soon."
That deal fell through with James Ward-Prowse eventually recalled from Nottingham Forest to bolster options in the centre of the park. However, ExWHUEmployee now claims that talks with the Belgian side have resumed after the Gomes blow of last week.
Angel Gomes rejects West Ham
The Guardian had claimed that Graham Potter is a ‘big fan’ of Gomes and that a contract proposal has been submitted to the player but that the £100,000 a week deal was not high enough.
It was added that West Ham would not linger on negotiations with the club aware of the transfer race for the player and will look at ‘alternative targets’. The former Manchester United man made the move to Lille in 2020 and was called up to the England senior side by Lee Carsley last year.
Speaking about Gomes in September, following his call-up to the England squad, caretaker Three Lions boss said Lee Carsley: "He absolutely loves football. He watches football, he's interested in tactics, he knows all the player in any league.
"If you ask him for any feedback you need to be prepared that he is going to give you some feedback on the session or how we're going to build up, or the positions.
"He'll help in terms of he will often say about some build-ups that he's done at other clubs or what he's played against, because obviously he's playing in France so he sees different things. He fully deserves it (his call-up)."
In other news, West Ham are waiting on one condition to snatch a bargain Championship transfer.