It looks like Wolverhampton Wanderers are about to use some of the Max Kilman cash West Ham gave them to wreck Graham Potter’s big transfer plan.
West Ham and Wolves were two of the clubs grateful the bottom three were so bad last season.
Vitor Pereira’s arrival saw Wolverhampton Wanderers safe with room to spare.
Graham Potter did not have quite the same impact at West Ham, winning just five of his 19 games in charge.
The Hammers did manage to finish just above Wolves in the end – but both clubs will need to improve drastically in what’s expected to be one of the most fiercely competitive Premier League seasons for years next term.
Survivors Wolves and West Ham on hunt for new striker
One area both sides desperately need to strengthen is up front.
Now it seems that has put West Ham and Wolves on a collision course less than a week into the summer transfer window.
The Irons must sell in order to buy after splashing out £155m last summer and over a quarter of a billion since 2022.
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Wolves have more wiggle room by virtue of the fact £40m of West Ham’s splurge last year went to them for Max Kilman.
Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images
The Molineux side have also raised over £60m selling Matheus Cunha to Man United.
West Ham have admitted they are waiting on sales before they can ‘start trading’.
That means the Hammers can only watch on helplessly if rival clubs move for their targets.
With Cunha gone, Pereira is on the hunt for a new attacker.
Now West Ham have suffered a bitter blow as Wolves make a fast-moving swoop for Potter’s prime target.
Wolves make fast-moving swoop for Potter’s prime target
The Hammers have been linked with the likes of Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha, Brondby’s Danish sensation Mathias Kvistgaarden and Etienne’s Belgian hitman Lucas Stassin – to name but a few.
But Nice’s Evann Guessand is said to be the striker West Ham want most.
Head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay identified Guessand as a top West Ham target, the moment he arrived at West Ham from Chelsea in January.
Potter and Macaulay monitored Guessand’s performances last season and it’s reported they were so impressed that the Hammers held talks about signing the 23-year-old Ivory Coast star.
Nice manager Franck Haise admitted Guessand will be sold amid links to West Ham.
Potter and Macaulay are said to believe the rangy 6ft 2in star has the technical and physical qualities to adapt to the Premier League.
Photo by SYLVAIN THOMAS/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by SYLVAIN THOMAS/AFP via Getty Images
With Danny Ings and Evan Ferguson gone and speculation Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug could follow them out of the London Stadium exit, signing at least one new striker is an absolute must for the Irons.
But now Wolves have leapfrogged them in the race for Guessand.
And the deal is said to be moving rapidly according to top Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett.
In an exclusive, Dorsett revealed Wolves are pushing hard to beat rival Premier League suitors – one of whom we know is West Ham – in a £25m deal.
Dorsett says Guessand, who scored 14 goals and laid on nine assists for Nice last season, has lots of admirers in the Premier League and Europe.
“I’ve been told Wolves are pushing hard to beat rivals to secure him,” Dorsett said.
Evann help Hammers as Wolves have cash ready to go
West Ham were hoping to use former Nice star Jean-Clair Todibo’s influence to lure Guessand to east London.
But as West Ham sit and wait for bids on their players, Wolves are beating them to the punch.
The Hammers were given a huge boost when Brighton’s Guessand interest was ended by Chelsea moving on from Joao Pedro last week.
They may not be so lucky with Wolves, who have the money ready to go for Guessand.
Although it is early in the window, the news will increase pressure on Potter who has been heavily criticised for taking a holiday at the start of West Ham’s most important transfer window for years.
Especially when he has only just come back into the game after 20 months off following his sacking by Chelsea.
Now it seems Wolves are about to fill Potter with instant regret.