West Ham are on the verge of losing out to Borussia Dortmund in the race to sign Ajax’s Edson Alvarez and are pushing forward with a move for Fulham’s Joao Palhinha as they search for replacements for Declan Rice in central midfield.
The Mexican international is too expensive, according to West Ham, who have concluded that Alvarez’s asking price from Ajax is £40m plus $5m in add-ons. After selling Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid, Dortmund now has a clean path to the midfielder and are the front-runners to sign him.
Once they sell Rice, who is anticipated to join Arsenal for at least £100 million, West Ham will have money to play with. For David Moyes, who wants to sign two midfielders, Palhinha is a top priority. James Ward-Prowse of Southampton and Kalvin Phillips of Manchester City come to mind.
Palhinha has flourished since joining Fulham for £20 million last summer, and Marco Silva won’t want to lose the former Sporting Lisbon midfielder. The harsh tackling of the Portugal international caught people’s attention during his debut Premier League season, and Fulham is expected to want £50m for him. West Ham will have to decide if that sum is reasonable.
Moyes Most Likely Eyeing For Ward-Prowse Over Joao Palhinha
Declan Rice, who qualified for the Europa League by winning the Europa Conference League, is still waiting for a new offer from Arsenal. They rejected Arsenal’s initial offer of £80 million with add-ons and are waiting for a Manchester City offer. Rice has drawn attention from a number of teams, including Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Bayern Munich.
When West Ham defeated Fiorentina in the final in Prague, England midfielder Rice became the club’s first captain to collect a European championship since Bobby Moore in 1965. Ward-Prowse, who is anticipated to depart Southampton after their relegation, has long been a favorite of Moyes. Ward-Prowse is a seasoned Premier League player, which would increase West Ham’s interest in him. He also fits well in a Moyes club due to his danger from set pieces.
This summer, Phillips is not likely to want to leave City. When the England midfielder was playing for Leeds, West Ham had an offer for him rejected. Harvey Barnes, who became available following Leicester’s relegation, is appealing to West Ham as they are also looking for a left-winger. Barnes, who scored 13 goals last season, is also wanted by Aston Villa, Newcastle, and Tottenham.
