West Ham are now officially open for business and able to start making signings of their own after Roma rode to the rescue overnight.
Amid rising fan anger West Ham changed their frustrating transfer stance this weekend.
The Hammers board stated ‘anything is possible’ when pressed on whether they could start making signings knowing full well sales will be made at some stage of the summer transfer window.
That was a massive about turn from the stock line ‘we can’t buy until we sell’ which has been trotted out by West Ham since January.
As the full summer window approaches one week in, there have been some huge positives for West Ham.
The Hammers are banking on Mohammed Kudus this summer – quite literally.
Overly cautious West Ham change stance amid fan anger
Kudus is the one the club is depending on most to bring home the bacon in terms of sales.
And there was a Kudus breakthrough for West Ham after major Chelsea news last night.
At the same time it emerged Italian giants Juventus had opened talks with the Hammers about signing wantaway defender Nayef Aguerd.
The Moroccan spent last season on loan at Real Sociedad, where he excelled for the most part in the slower-paced, more tactical La Liga.
He was statistically Sociedad’s second-best player all season and they were expected to make Aguerd’s move permanent.
Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille and Atletico Madrid were also interested.
But instead the German and French outfits signed Jarrell Quansah from Liverpool and West Ham target CJ Egan-Riley respectively.
Juve came in to give West Ham hope of a first sale.
But Hammers News revealed Juve’s plan to involve Daniele Rugani in a swap for Aguerd received short shrift from West Ham.
Juve did offer a straight cash deal – but Hammers News understands it was less than £12m, way off the £17-20m West Ham want for the left-footed centre-back.
Roma to the rescue as West Ham are officially open for business
Now it is Roma to the rescue as West Ham are officially open for business to make signings.
Gianluca Di Marzio revealed Roma’s bid for Aguerd overnight.
The Serie A side have made an official offer to the Hammers for Aguerd, believed to be more than Juve had put on the table and closer to £15m.
West Ham will likely demand they meet their minimum £17m valuation, but the bidding war essentially means the Hammers are now in the money.
Knowing they need cash to fund signings for Graham Potter, the Hammers will negotiate with a sale all guaranteed for at least around £15m.
It means West Ham are finally officially open for business to start making signings.
With cash all but guaranteed Hammers can now make signings
That’s after the club’s owners effectively confirmed they can start trading knowing they have money coming in.
Especially in light of the huge boost about Kudus coming out of Chelsea.
Potter and head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay have done their jobs. Now it is over to the likes of David Sullivan to try and get deals done.
Potter and Macaulay have pulled together an extensive list of top young targets potentially available for reasonable fees.
Nice striker Evan Guessand is a prime striker target while Emanuel Emegha and Mathias Kvistgaarden are also on the list, among others.
Potter wants a complete midfield overhaul and has a string of really interesting and dynamic players in mind.
West Ham’s impressive list of summer targets
Serie A’s best ball winner Morten Frendup, Club Brugge’s Raphael Onyedika – who has been compared to Moises Caicedo – RB Salzburg’s Mamady Diambou, AC Milan’s Yunus Musah, Anderlecht’s Mario Stroeykens and Man City’s James McAtee are all on West Ham’s list of targets.
Potter wants at least two, potentially three, midfield signings.
Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Genoa’s Koni De Winter, Monaco’s Mohammed Salisu and – as revealed by ExWHUemployee – Senegalese centre half El Hadji Malick Diouf are all defenders West Ham like.
In goal, targets include Djorde Petrovic and Mads Hermansen.
With Roma’s bid for Aguerd and Kudus looking a good bet for a move to Stamford Bridge, West Ham can finally start trading.
