According to reports, West Ham United has reduced its target pool of prospective hires to only three midfielders in order to replace Declan Rice in the upcoming campaign. As the Hammers try to build on their success in the Europa Conference League last season, David Moyes is eager to make wise additions in this summer window.
If West Ham does sell Rice as expected, there will surely be a void left behind by his departure from the squad. As a result, they must find a suitable replacement. The purchase of the England international by Arsenal is getting closer to completion. They have previously had an offer for £80 million rejected, but are anticipated to counter with a better offer soon.
Moyes has already named three people who might replace Rice after this term. According to Sky Sports, West Ham is interested in signing Joao Palhinha of Fulham, Edson Alvarez of Ajax, and James Ward-Prowse of Southampton. Palhinha’s contract at Craven Cottage, which is still valid for four years, does not include a release clause.
However, his recent performance has piqued the interest of a number of Premier League clubs. For example, Liverpool had previously indicated interest in the Portugal international, but the club finally picked another player.
Transfer Radar Seems Quite Clear For The Hammers
Palhinha is a player whom both West Ham and Aston Villa are interested in. But Fulham will most likely not allow him leave for a bargain, if at all. In fact, it’s thought that they wouldn’t even contemplate selling without a bid of between £50m and £60m.
Alvarez, on the other hand, may be a more sensible acquisition for West Ham. season 33 games for Ajax season 2022–2023, the 25-year-old made three goals and three assists. Edson has previously acknowledged his desire to eventually play for a “bigger” club outside Ajax. Therefore, a transfer to the Premier League may be in the works.
He may be an excellent Rice substitute as a defensive midfielder who really wins balls. On the other side, Ward-Prowse plays with a more offensive approach. But he may be a valuable addition for West Ham the next year. The 28-year-old’s skill at set pieces is well known across the world. Additionally, he is anticipated to leave St. Mary’s this summer following Southampton’s relegation.
Ward-Prowse nevertheless was able to rack up nine Premier League goals while playing for a subpar Southampton team. It will be fascinating to see whether West Ham makes a firm approach for one of the trio in the coming weeks in light of this. But first, they must raise as much money as they can for Rice.
They continue to stick by their £120 million valuation as of right now. Even so, the likelihood is that they will sell for less. To deal with high-level games on several fronts, Moyes is well aware that he has to add more talent, particularly if West Ham want to avoid becoming involved in another relegation battle as they are ready to lose captain Declan Rice this summer.
