West Ham are set to lose Nayef Aguerd this summer, with the Moroccan international reportedly pushing for a move to a Champions League club.
Claret & Hugh have been informed by a top [London Stadium](https://www.claretandhugh.info/london-stadium-bio/) source that Aguerd has requested not to return for pre-season training. The 29-year-old centre-back, who spent the season on loan at Real Sociedad, is attracting strong interest following an impressive campaign in La Liga.
Four clubs are now circling—Real Sociedad, Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille, and Atletico Madrid—all said to be monitoring the situation closely. Sociedad in particular are keen to make the move permanent, with West Ham wanting bids in the region of the £32 million we paid Rennes for the player back in July 2022.
Aguerd is understood to want Champions League football and sees this summer as his opportunity to take that next step. That would rule out Sociedad who finished 11th in La Liga but interest from Atletico is reportedly serious.
Interestingly, manager Graham Potter is believed to want the defender to stay. The West Ham boss views Aguerd as the ideal left-footed centre-back to anchor the left side of a back three in his proffered system.
However, the club are less than impressed with the player’s stance.
A source told C&H: “The player is contracted to us and he’ll have to return if we don’t get the right money.”
It’s clear Aguerd’s heart may be elsewhere—but unless one of the interested clubs stumps up the right fee, West Ham will hold firm.