English Premier League club must decide the next step for the Scotland internationalist
Scotland international midfielder Andy Irving is the subject of mounting transfer interest from clubs in Scotland, Germany and Italy, The Scotsman has learned. The West Ham United player is wanted by a number of teams as the English Premier League side prepare to decide his future before the summer transfer window closes on 1 September.
Irving, 25, enjoyed a strong pre-season after making his Scotland debut in June’s friendly win in Liechtenstein. He is hungry to play more regularly at the top level following 11 appearances for West Ham last year. Rangers are keen to take him to Ibrox, while Celtic continue to monitor him after a late approach to United at the end of last summer’s window.
German Bundesliga clubs Cologne, Borussia Moenchengladbach and Stuttgart have contacted the London club directly to enquire about Irving’s availability. The Austrian champions Sturm Graz also made an approach about tempting him back to the country where he thrived at Austria Klagenfurt before joining West Ham. There is additional interest from Serie A, where Scotland players Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, Ché Adams and Aaron Hickey have flourished in recent seeasons.
Both Rangers and Celtic intend to strengthen their squads before the transfer window closes and feel Irving could be a worthwhile addition. As a fluent German speaker, the player is also an attractive prospect for Bundesliga sides in both Germany and Austria.
He left formative club Hearts in 2020 for Türkgücü Munich in the German third tier, but moved on to Klagenfurt after Türkgücü suffered financial difficulties. He was sold to West Ham on transfer deadline day in September 2023 but remained on loan at Klagenfurt. After 14 goals and 12 assists in Austria’s top division, he made the permanent switch to England last summer.
Transfer window open with EPL club set to decide Irving’s future
West Ham sacked head coach Julen Lopetegui in January and replaced him with Graham Potter. He begins a first full season in charge this Saturday when United travel to newly-promoted Sunderland on the opening day of the Premier League. Irving scored in a pre-season friendly win over Swiss club Grasshoppers and also featured on the pre-season trip to the United States of America.
Eager to experience more regular football, Irving is in the final year of his contract at the London Stadium. He is not short of options should West Ham be willing to let him leave, but final discussions on that subject will determine the Edinburgh-born player’s future.