Friday was not a particularly great day for West Ham United’s hopes of adding a new midfielder to Graham Potter’s squad ahead of August’s Premier League curtain-raiser against Sunderland.
While the Black Cats snapped up Habib Diarra in a £30 million club-record deal and followed that up with Bundesliga champion Granit Xhaka, West Ham United approach that Wearside trip in a fortnight’s time with the same underwhelming, largely one-paced options in the centre of the park.
Guido Rodriguez, Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Andy Irving.
Good news, of course, for Freddie Potts. The Barking-born Potts impressed against Everton in Chicago as Lucas Paqueta and Niclas Fullkrug fired the Hammers to a 2-1 comeback victory two days ago.
But with potential deals for Tyler Morton, Saimon Bouabre and Jacob Ramsey all running into problems, Werder Bremen dynamo Romano Schmid may find himself moving further and further up West Ham’s midfield shortlist.
No wonder Marco Friedl, Schmid’s captain at the Bundesliga outfit, is counting down the days until the window closes.
Werder Bremen midfielder Romano Schmid during Austria v Romania - European Qualifiers Group H - FIFA World Cup 2026
Photo by Christian Hofer/Getty Images
Marco Friedl urges West Ham United target Romano Schmid to stay at Werder Bremen
Fabrizio Romano broke the news on Friday night. Tyler Morton is leaving Liverpool for Lyon.
West Ham wanted both Morton and Harvey Elliott but, with Liverpool demanding around £40 million for the latter, there is a very good chance now that Graham Potter will end up with neither.
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Saimon Bouabre is swapping Monaco for Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, with an offer on the table from the Hammers.
And, as Aston Villa slap a £50 million-plus price-tag on Jacob Ramsey, a man viewed in the Midlands as ‘one of the best young midfielders in Europe’ feels far too expensive at this stage.
So, enter Schmid.
The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg believes that Werder Bremen may accept £13 million for Romano Schmid. The all-action Austria international, therefore, could be snapped up for a fraction of the fee Aston Villa want for the injury-hit Ramsey.
Friedl would obviously rather Schmid sticks around, though.
“Things move quickly in football,” the captain tells the official Werder Bremen website. “For myself, and on behalf of the entire team, I know we are all hoping that he stays here.”
Schmid is a very popular figure at the Weser Stadium.
Formerly of Sturm Graz and Salzburg, the 25-year-old is a midfielder with Red Bull’s fingerprints all over him. Exactly the sort of athletic, high-octane, relentless footballer Salzburg are known for producing.
That Schmid is such a favourite of Ralf Rangnick – the Austria boss nicknamed the ‘Godfather of Gegenpressing’ – speaks volumes about his hunger and determination, as well as his cavernous lung capacity.
“It’s incredible how much Romano has developed in the last year,” Rangnick said after Schmid scored a rare headed goal during the 3-2 victory over the Netherlands during Euro 2024.
Bundesliga star Schmid could be Graham Potter’s next Alexis MacAllister
With ten assists and nine goals in his last two Bundesliga seasons, Schmid has made big progress in the final third since crossing the border from Austria into Germany.
Graham Potter indicated that he would love to replicate the success he enjoyed at Brighton with West Ham, hoping to land the next Moises Caicedo, Leandro Trossard or Pascal Gross.
Schmid, with his excellent work ethic off the ball and his eye for defence-splitting through balls, could potentially perform an Alexis MacAllister-style role in Potter’s West Ham midfield.
“I’m taking a more positive approach,” Schmid told the Werder Bremen website back in 2023. “I push forward and demand the ball more. Even when things aren’t going our way, I still try to lead the way.
“For me personally, it’s also really important that I’m directly involved in the goals. That’s where making the second assists is crucial. One of my greatest strengths is initiating goal-scoring opportunities by playing in teammates for them to make the assist.”