With the transfer window set to close on September 1st, West Ham are expected to ramp up their recruitment efforts, as several departures and potential arrivals loom.
Emerson Palmieri, Maxwel Cornet, and Guido Rodriguez are all likely to leave the club. Lucas Paquetá is also rumoured to be on the move if a suitable offer comes in, although his £150,000-a-week wages and hefty transfer fee are proving to be major obstacles. That said, whilst Fabrizio Romano appears to be predicting the Brazilian’s exit, C&H have been informed by a source close to the player that he’s happy at West Ham.
While a number of players have drawn interest, most approaches have been limited to loan deals or undervalued bids. To complicate matters, many suitors are only willing to cover a fraction of the players’ salaries—offers that do little to help the Hammers situation.
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AS Roma, for instance, previously enquired about a loan move for Nayef Aguerd. The Italian side have been active in the loan market, having already secured Evan Ferguson and a loan deal with an option to buy Leon Bailey.
Edson Álvarez has attracted interest from his former club Ajax, with Voetbal International reporting that the Dutch side are keen on a one-year loan. Genoa are similarly interested in taking Cornet on loan, but only if they can pay a portion of his wages.
West Ham-Edson Alvarez-Transfer-Manchester United
Edson Alvarez is unlikely to be a West Ham player in two weeks time
Transfer swap-shop
Konstantinos Mavropanos has emerged as a target for Villarreal, though the Spanish club have admitted they cannot meet The Irons £17 million asking price.
This raises a valid question: why aren’t West Ham exploring potential swap deals with these interested clubs? For instance, Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor—already on Newcastle’s radar—could be a viable option.
A senior club source told Claret & Hugh last week that West Ham overpaid on both transfer fees and wages, leaving them with surplus players that few clubs can afford.
The source went on to say that the club does have bids in for players, yet there has been limited progress.
Karen Brady, in a recent interview with Henry Winter on TalkSport, confirmed that work was underway to find the manager a new midfielder.
Back in June, a top source said to C&H, “Judge us at the end of the transfer window”— that’s two weeks remaining and the clock is ticking.