A top player and his father have just flown in and out after holding talks with Manchester City and the outcome couldn’t be better for West Ham.
In terms of expectations vs reality, few clubs have underachieved as badly as West Ham and Manchester City this season.
Man City can still salvage their campaign by qualifying for the Champions League and winning the FA Cup.
For West Ham the season was all but over long ago and the focus is now very much on a crucial summer rebuild.
West Ham and Man City start ball rolling on rebuilds
Graham Potter and Pep Guardiola will both be busy in that regard with a major revamp needed of both Manchester City and West Ham’s squads.
The Hammers have started clearing the decks in preparation by announcing they are letting four senior players go.
West Ham must also sell to raise funds for signings due to PSR.
The likes of Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta, should he beat spot-fixing charges this month, will both be for sale and have each been linked with Man City.
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Whether Guardiola remains interested is another matter after Manchester City launched their summer rebuild with a move for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz.
West Ham fans will remember Wirtz well.
Photo by Vincent Mignott/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
Photo by Vincent Mignott/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
The brilliant German playmaker was part of the Leverkusen side who beat the Hammers 3-1 on aggregate in last season’s Europa League quarter-finals.
Wirtz is one of the most coveted players across Europe.
Now the star and his parents have jetted in and out after Man City talks – and the outcome is brilliant for West Ham.
A host of top sources in Germany and the UK are reporting Wirtz and his parents, dad Hans and mother Karin, took a private jet on Tuesday from Maastricht-Aachen Airport in the Netherlands to Blackpool for talks with Man City.
German newspaper Bild even carried pictures of Wirtz and his parents boarding the private jet.
Wirtz and parents jet in and out after Man City talks
It is claimed negotiations are advanced between Man City and Leverkusen on a record £126m deal. But Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are pushing hard to try and sign him too.
Clearly West Ham can only dream about ever being able to compete at that level of the transfer market.
But news emerging from Sky Sports and others is that an agreement has been reached to seal the blockbuster deal.
And that is good news for West Ham’s own transfer plans involving top Potter target James McAtee.
The playmaker is one of the players Potter has identified to be part of his youthful rebuild at the London Stadium.
West Ham actually held talks with Man City about McAtee as they weighed up a bid when Potter first arrived in January.
Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images
Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images
Man City ‘agreement’ on £126m deal is brilliant for West Ham
It was reported at the time McAtee was unhappy at the Etihad Stadium due to a lack of game time and would seek a move, either in January or the summer.
Last month Guardiola gave West Ham encouragement by suggesting McAtee will leave Man City.
Now McAtee’s future looks even bleaker with Wirtz potentially on his way to the Etihad.
West Ham’s interest in McAtee was reaffirmed this week with reports the club are ready to pay around £20m for his signature.
Wirtz’s arrival in Manchester not only makes it clear to McAtee he definitely needs to find a new club.
But it also means Man City will be keen to sell players as they seek to raise funds to offset their big money move due to PSR.
At 22, McAtee fits the profile of player Potter wants to base his Hammers rebuild around.
If McAtee thinks he’s struggling for game time now, he’ll be rendered redundant if Wirtz does arrive.
West Ham sorely lack creativity from midfield, even with Paqueta.
So a move for a player of McAtee’s talents makes total sense for the way Potter wants to play.
But don’t take our word for it, Guardiola himself has stated McAtee has the quality to be a big influence on matches if he gets games somewhere.
“For the age I would like him (McAtee) to stay,” Guardiola told Man City’s website.
“I understand, the players want more minutes I understand that.
“I would like him to stay, he’s an Academy player, he knows the patterns, he’s a lovely person, a lovely guy.
“Macca has this quality, the ability to create. He is there. Macca close to the box is quite similar to Phil (Foden). They are there, a sense. It’s difficult to train, to make that movement because the ball is coming. If he plays minutes he will score….
“He trains really good, plays in different positions. I like him but with the squad, it’s how we finish and we will see.”