West Ham United have responded to major transfer claims about deals for Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill and Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho.
West Ham are plotting a major revamp this summer with midfield and the forward line a key focus.
Mohammed Kudus will be one of the sacrificial lambs as West Ham look to sell the Ghanaian to raise funds.
Speculation has seen Kudus linked with a potential move to Manchester United.
In those discussions it was claimed Jadon Sancho was floated as a potential makeweight in the other direction.
West Ham respond to major claims about Brownhill and Sancho
A former Manchester United academy star is also said to be on West Ham’s radar in the shape of Burnley captain Josh Brownhill.
Brownhill is out of contract at Burnley at the end of the month.
Meanwhile Sancho is surplus to requirements at Manchester United after Chelsea elected to pay a £5m levy to send him back to Old Trafford rather than sign him permanently for £25m.
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Former three-time Hammer of the Year Scott Parker has been desperately trying to keep Brownhill at Burnley after their promotion back to the Premier League.
Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images
Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images
It was also claimed Sancho is a deal West Ham majority owner David Sullivan ‘likes’ despite the proposition being initially rejected by Graham Potter.
Claret and Hugh claimed terms and a potential agreement have already been discussed with central midfielder Brownhill.
The report did clearly state Brownhill does have other options but that talks with West Ham were ‘advanced’ and that it is ‘very realistic’ he will sign for the Hammers.
ESPN’s Rob Dawson then claimed West Ham retain ‘tentative’ interest in signing Sancho from Man United.
Hammers News has put both rumours to the top spokesman for West Ham’s board.
Hammers address talk of deals for Burnley and Man United stars
Not every request made to the Hammers hierarchy receives a response.
But in the case of the Burnley skipper Brownhill and England winger Sancho, the key senior club contact has addressed the claims.
When asked whether there was any truth to claims the Hammers want Sancho from Manchester United, West Ham’s top spokesman emphatically ruled out any move.
“We’ve heard – rightly or wrongly – he can be difficult and we don’t want to take on that kind of thing,” the West Ham spokesman exclusively told Hammers News of the Man United outcast.
When asked whether the rumours that Brownhill was close to joining the club on a free from Burnley, the response was equally unequivocal.
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
“Not true,” the Hammers spokesman added.
“We actually don’t think Brownhill is as good as the players we have already got and we have a lot of midfielders.
“We have a tiny bit for wages but we can’t bring players in until we sell.”
The speculation about Brownhill in particular had stirred mixed reactions from Hammers fans.
One of the big concerns was that Brownhill turns 30 next season and the whole point of Potter’s rebuild – as stated by the man himself – is to reduce the age of the squad with young stars who can grow together as a team and have future resale value.
The candid response from the club on Sancho and Brownhill may not go down well with fans who are desperate to see the club get business done early for Potter’s rebuild.
But it is clear the manager knows exactly what – and who – he wants at the club.
Vital West Ham get the right characters and players
And that is most important of all.
The last thing the Hammers need is another incoherent mix of players and characters who don’t fit with the manager’s culture, philosophy and style of play.
That was Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui’s undoing.
It should also be noted West Ham’s best period of modern times came when David Moyes put as much emphasis on only signing players who are the right characters and who would improve the first team rather than squad padding.
The moment Moyes’ squad started to be padded with players is when team spirit and results started to unravel.
And they have not recovered since – hence Potter being in the job and tasked with turning things around after 18 a dismal months which has seen West Ham win just 15 of their last 57 Premier League matches.