West Ham are willing to pay a “symbolic sum” to sign former Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini, according to reports in Italy.
It had been suggested that the 29-year-old would be available on a free transfer but Roma Today claim that the Hammers would be “prepared” to spend around €5m (£4.3m) to secure his services.
Pellegrini has lost the captaincy with new head coach Gian Piero Gasperini deeming him surplus to requirements, and with his contract set to expire next year, his departure looks likely.
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The player is said to be hoping to stay at the club where he came through the youth system. However, if he doesn’t have a future at the Stadio Olimpico, he may reluctantly consider an exit.
Ranieri has compared him to a former West Ham player
Pellegrini was praised by his then-Roma boss Claudio Ranieri back in December, drawing similarities with a player he had managed during his time at Chelsea:
“I’ve had two amazing goal-scoring midfielders in my career. One is [Frank] Lampard and the other is Pellegrini. He comes in for a lot of criticism but how many midfielders score as many as Pellegrini?”
“My job at the moment is to help Roma. And in helping Roma, I was very clear with Lorenzo, I told him, ‘Lorenzo, this is my plan’.”
Of course, comparisons to Lampard may not go down too well with Hammers supporters, but it does give you a good idea about his style of play.
Pellegrini is not the only midfielder being targeted
It has been reported that West Ham have made an offer for Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes but it is believed that the two sides are quite far apart in their valuations.
Graham Potter’s side also hold an interest in Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey, but Newcastle are regarded as the favourites for his signature.
In other news, fans react to reports that West Ham are interested in signing a Liverpool winger