West Ham face fierce competition from Liverpool and several Premier League rivals in the race to sign Greek wonderkid Konstantinos Karetsas.
The 17-year-old was strongly linked with a move to the Hammers yesterday, but a transfer source has poured cold water on claims that West Ham are leading the race for his signature.
“Everyone wants this kid,” Claret & Hugh were told this evening. “All the top clubs are chasing him, and the genie is out of the bottle now.”
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The Genk midfielder has enjoyed a standout season in Belgium, making 30 appearances—including 25 league outings—despite his young age. His rapid rise has caught the attention of Europe’s elite, with interest snowballing following his most recent international display.
West Ham were among several clubs to have scouts in attendance at Hampden Park on Sunday, where Greece thumped Scotland 3-0. Karetsas not only scored a stunning goal but also impressed playing from the right wing, giving Liverpool’s Andy Robertson a particularly tough afternoon.
Reports suggest that scouts from Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Brighton were all present to watch the teenager in action.
With such intense interest in the versatile Greek starlet, West Ham can’t afford to hang about if we hope to lure Karetsas to East London.
When we asked our source what the chances were of signing the Greek Whizz-kid we were told; “Rigg from Sunderland is far more likely”.