Midfield reinforcements have to take centre stage at West Ham: Having been found wanting in the previous season, the Hammers are breaking up the slow and stodgy combination which failed to excel going forwards nor shield their own defence effectively. Likely to see at least three departures in the coming weeks, with Carlos Soler’s loan ending and Rodriguez and Alvarez linked with moves to raise funds, change is afoot.
Newly promoted Sunderland midfielder – as reported by today’s WestHamZone and mirror.co.uk – Jobe Bellingham is still set on leaving the Black Cats even though his side have just made it through the Championship play-offs into to the lucrative Premier League.
West Ham have long been linked with Bellingham but now face competition from overseas as well as from a phalanx of Premier League sides willing to throw millions at recruiting the younger brother of England’s Jude. According to the report, Bellingham is off in Germany now talking to prospective suitors.
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newly promoted and in big demand – Jobe Bellingham
Whilst ‘West Ham may bid‘ it would seem pretty unlikely that the nineteen year-old midfield powerhouse will sell for Hammers’ – level money: Sunderland’s starting price is a cool £25 million before the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt, Borossia Dortmund or Premier League suitors get bidding. In West Ham’s favour is probably the guarantee of game time which other clubs might be hesitant to offer the young man.
When the price inevitably tops £30 million the Hammers would be most likely to bring in less pricey talent for further development – Mario Stroekyens from Anderlecht is currently under consideration.