If reports are to be believed, a £15 million offer will arrive from Premier League outfit West Ham United before June is over.
According to Argentine ‘ITK’ Facundo Jauregui, West Ham were planning a bid for Kevin Lomonaco at some point this month. One he says was likely to land somewhere in the region of £15 million.
Though, as the general secretary of Club Atletico Independiente speaks out for the first time about the central defender’s future, it could not be any clearer how lowballs bids are destined to be received at the Estadio Libertadores de America.
Kevin Lomonaco has a £17 million release clause in his contract. Independiente will not accept even a penny less than that. So, if West Ham United were indeed prepared to test the water with an offer below that 20 million euro threshold, Daniel Seoane’s comments should have Kyle Macaulay and co returning to the drawing board and re-thinking their approach.
Photo by Maddie Meyer - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Photo by Maddie Meyer – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
West Ham United would have to trigger Kevin Lomonaco’s release clause
Lomonaco opened the door to West Ham in March.
The former Red Bull Bragantino giant named the Premier League as something of a dream destination, while also singling out West Ham as a club he may be tempted to put pen to paper with.
Lomonaco did not shed any more light on his admiration for the Hammers.
Though given that Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano, Mauro Zarate, Pablo Zabaleta and Manuel Lanzini have all donned the claret and blue kit, perhaps he simply wants to continue the tradition of Argentine talent at West Ham.
The current head coach of the Argentine national team – Lionel Scaloni – spent time at Upton Park in his own playing days. For what it’s worth, the 2022 World Cup-winning tactician handed Lomonaco his first senior call-up ahead of June’s qualifiers against Chile and Colombia.
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Speaking to Infierno Rojo, meanwhile, Seoane insists that there will be no negotiating or haggling for any of Independiente’s star players. Either West Ham trigger Lomonaco’s release clause – he is also reportedly on the radars of Borussia Dortmund and Crystal Palace – or the 6ft 4ins defensive colossus is going nowhere.
“They are players we will not sell for less than their release clause,” Seoane explains. “They are the backbone of the team, and what we discussed with the coach [Julio Vaccari] is not to dismantle that.
“We don’t negotiate players in Argentine soccer.
“There were calls and inquiries not only for Kevin Lomonaco, Felipe Loyola and Alvaro Angulo but for a whole host of players. [But] no firm offers have come in.”
Lomonaco snubs Qatar switch as West Ham cool Adam Webster interest
In truth, it is not entirely clear if West Ham’s alleged interest in Lomonaco pre-dates his comments in March about being interested in a move to the London Stadium.
Is this a classic case of local reports putting two and two together and getting five? Perhaps, on the other hand, the Hammers bosses took note of his comments and felt this is a market opportunity worth considering at the very least.
Interestingly, Kevin Lomonaco has turned down a move to Qatar in favour of a chance in one of Europe’s major leagues. Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero, blown away by his progress in recent months, goes as far as to label Lomonaco a ‘phenomenon’.
Closer to home, the Hammers admire Burnley’s CJ Egan-Riley and Maxime Esteve. West Ham’s interest in Adam Webster has cooled, however, despite having discussed the Graham Potter favourite with Brighton and Hove Albion earlier in 2025.