In just a couple of days, the summer transfer window will be opening. There have been rumours flying around left, right and centre with some deals already having been made. Most clubs are surveying potential signings. Aston Villa have already bolstered their squad with Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos. Focussing on another claret and blue club though, here is who West Ham United are targeting.
David Moyes warned a number of his West Ham players during the second half of the season that they would have to prove themselves or face being sold in the summer.
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West Ham United Are Targeting Various Positions
Sam Johnstone
Łukasz Fabiański has been the starting goalkeeper for West Ham for a few years. The Polish international is now 37 and his age has shown in his performances. Alphonse Areola is his backup and multiple sources are reporting that the club wants to make his loan move over from Paris Saint-Germain permanent. Alongside this, West Ham are targeting Sam Johnstone and have been alongside Tottenham Hotspur, dating back to November of last year. More recently, Crystal Palace have seemingly jumped ahead and are leading the way.
Johnstone can leave West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer and, understandably, there are so many teams chasing him. Another English shot-stopper who is attracting interest is Dean Henderson. Newcastle United have been quoted a £40 million figure which may well price the Irons out of a move for him. When Johnstone is available on a free and Henderson would cost that much, it is surely a no-brainer.
Aaron Hickey
Going from England to Scotland and full-back Aaron Hickey has a number of clubs on red alert. West Ham are targeting Hickey alongside the aforementioned Newcastle and Arsenal. The Bologna man was being spoken about with a value of just over £20 million when it comes to the Gunners. Mikel Arteta’s side are badly in need of players in that area of the field. The same can be said for David Moyes as there is no concrete depth beyond Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal.
Keane Lewis-Potter
The Championship is a hotbed of talent and West Ham United are targeting yet another Hull City man. Recent England debutant Jarrod Bowen arrived in East London from the KCOM Stadium and has turned out to be a vital part of their recent success. Keane Lewis-Potter may well follow in Bowen’s footsteps with the Tigers open to selling him, for the right price. Everton are battling with them once again. The club are hoping to lock him down to a new deal but he will be in the Premier League sooner rather than later.
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Ben Brereton Diaz
Attentions retain in the second-tier, a league which the Hammers have taken advantage of more than most. Besides Bowen, Said Benrahma arrived from Brentford, Craig Dawson from Watford and Ryan Fredericks from Fulham. One player that has lit up the league at various points over the last 18 months is Ben Brereton Diaz. His rise to becoming a Chilean international is heavily trodden ground. The line from Alan Nixon at The Sun is that “West Ham [are] leading £15 million transfer race for Blackburn’s Ben Brereton Diaz but will have to beat Sevilla to get Chile striker”. Alongside Diaz, following Watford’s relegation, Emmanuel Dennis would make a lot of sense as a target, the club are in need of more options beyond Michail Antonio.
Gianluca Scamacca
The next forward who West Ham are targeting supposedly is from the continent. Once again, Arsenal are also in the midst, the man in question being Gianluca Scamacca. The 23-year-old from Rome is now an Italian international thanks to his excellent form with Sassuolo. Both him and Giacoma Raspadori are attracting a lot of attention. The fee being talked about is in the region of £25 million but “the Hammers may turn their focus to Torino captain Andrea Belotti” if they are unwilling to battle it out with the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle.
Giovanni Simeone
Finally, to another Serie A striker and this one has a famous surname. Giovanni Simeone, son of the iconic manager Diego, has impressed on loan at Hellas Verona. Whilst he managed just six goals from Cagliari, he has 17 to his name from his time with the former. El Cholito could well sign in Verona on a permanent deal but with West Ham sniffing around, the allure of the Premier League could come up trumps.
Here were just some of the players that West Ham are targeting with the summer window just around the corner. Beyond these names, the likes of Duje Caleta-Car, Filip Kostic, Nikola Milenkovic, Adamu and Kalvin Phillips have all been rumoured to be on the Irons’ radar.
