“Transfer Drama: Key West Ham Targets Absent as Speculation Heats Up”
West Ham secured a 1-0 pre-season victory over Dagenham and Redbridge yesterday. However, other pre-season matches could be of greater significance for the Hammers. They aim to sign eight players this summer, having already acquired three.
Since signing Max Kilman for £40m two weeks ago, there have been no new additions. With less than four weeks until the new Premier League season starts and six weeks until the transfer window closes, there is increasing pressure to finalize deals. West Ham still need players in key positions, such as striker, center-back, and central midfield.
A number of players have been linked to the club, including N’Golo Kante and Juventus’ Arthur Melo. Signing a right-back is also a priority, with Kyle Walker-Peters and Aaron Wan-Bissaka being considered. There’s hope for a deal with central defender Jean-Clair Todibo, despite his preference for Juventus. As a backup plan, West Ham may pursue RB Salzburg’s Oumar Solet. Interestingly, three top West Ham targets were absent from pre-season match squads, fueling speculation.
Top West Ham targets left out of squads as speculation intensifies
Southampton triumphed over Eastleigh 7-1 on Friday, but West Ham target Kyle Walker-Peters was absent from the Saints squad, fueling speculation about his potential move to East London.
Attention had recently shifted to Aaron Wan-Bissaka, amid claims that Southampton were demanding too much for Walker-Peters. Hammers News exclusively reported that Wan-Bissaka’s agent, Will Salthouse, has been urging David Sullivan to sign his client. However, Wan-Bissaka did participate in pre-season action for Manchester United, starting at right-back in a 2-0 friendly win over Rangers.
Meanwhile, RB Salzburg secured a 4-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday yesterday, with West Ham’s alternative target to Todibo, Oumar Solet, notably absent. Salzburg’s website mentioned that the 24-year-old French defender was among several players “missing for various reasons,” raising the possibility that he might be on the verge of being sold to West Ham, potentially for around £8m given his contract situation.
David Ornstein confirmed that it is unlikely West Ham will sign N’Golo Kante. Additionally, another midfield target, Arthur Melo, was left out of Juventus’ entire pre-season trip to Germany. Juventus is preparing for a week-long training camp at the Adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach, ending with a friendly against Nuremberg next Friday. Melo’s absence, as reported by Fabrizio Romano, is due to his expected transfer.
It will be interesting to see if there are any developments regarding West Ham’s interest in Walker-Peters, Melo, and Solet, especially as the Hammers embark on their pre-season tour to the US.