West Ham exit takes big step forward as reporter shares ‘excellent news’ about £30m man
Nayef Aguerd may have no future at West Ham United but, with Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Real Sociedad and Marseille among his suitors, a sizeable windfall should be heading to the London Stadium.
West Ham United reportedly want to recoup much of the £30 million they spent when bringing the Morocco international to the English capital back in 2022.
And the prospect of a bidding war involving clubs from three major European leagues should help turn the Hammers’ hopes into a reality.
Bayer Leverkusen lost Jonathan Tah to Bayern Munich recently. As such, one of the first tasks in Erik ten Hag’s in-tray is to find a replacement for the German colossus. Real Sociedad appear to have performed an unexpected U-turn, meanwhile, after initially turning down the chance to sign Nayef Aguerd on a permanent basis after last season’s loan spell at Anoeta.
Furthermore, Ligue 1 runners up Marseille opened talks with the former Rennes defender late last week. With a deal for Al-Nassr’s former Manchester City star Aymeric Laporte seemingly dead in the water, L’OM are now zoning in on their first-choice alternative.
Marseille reporter wants deal for West Ham United defender Nayef Aguerd done
Nicolas Filhol, a reporter who specialises in all things Marseille, cannot speak highly enough of Nayef Aguerd despite those post-Rennes struggles in England and Spain.
The 29-year-old former World Cup semi-finalist struggled to settle in the Premier League and, over in La Liga, his spell at Real Sociedad ended prematurely due to injury. Yet, Filhol still feels that Aguerd ticks more boxes than any of Marseille’s other central defensive transfer targets.
“The arrival of Nayef Aguerd would be excellent news,” Filhol argues. “[He is my] number one choice for the central defender position.
“I love his profile, his technique, the experience he has. I find [Aguerd] really very interesting.
“I like the experience and the technical profile of [Laporte] but, on the other hand, I have big doubts about his ability to regain his level after playing in Saudi Arabia,” the reporter adds, a five-time Premier League champion having spent the last two seasons in the Middle East.
“The fact that he was not selected for Spain [for the UEFA Nations League last-four] also constitutes a rather negative signal in this regard.”
Graham Potter is a fan of Aguerd but Ligue 1 return looming
West Ham will not stand in Aguerd’s way, of course, should they receive an acceptable-enough offer.
Hammers boss Graham Potter had hoped to re-integrate Aguerd at the London Stadium, but it appears that the one-time Dijon man has little interest in another stab at Premier League football.
Interestingly, the identity of Marseille’s sporting director may be the decisive factor in Aguerd’s potential switch to the Stade Velodrome. Former Roma and Bayern Munich defender Mehdi Benatia played alongside Aguerd for the Moroccan national team until he bid farewell to the Atlas Lions six years ago.
In terms of incomings, West Ham confirmed the permanent signing of Jean-Clair Todibo last week.
Another who crossed the Channel while leaving French football, the £32 million acquisition from Nice still has a long way to go before he proves himself capable of handling the intensity of the Premier League.
President breaks his silence as West Ham face missing out to Chelsea for £20m striker
Amid all the furore in recent days over so-called ‘multi-club models’, the size of West Ham United’s task was made painfully clear as a new wonderkid arrived down the road at Premier League rivals Chelsea.
Enzo Maresca’s side sealed a deal for 19-year-old centre-back Mamadou Sarr.
The teenager joins for a reported £12 million from Strasbourg. Thus, swapping one BlueCo-owned club for another. After Liam Rosenior’s side finished an impressive seventh in France’s top flight last term, inspired by a core of talented Chelsea loanees, Sarr heads to West London while Andrey Santos, Djordje Petrovic, Caleb Wiley and Diego Moreira return to their parent club.
So, with West Ham United one of a number of clubs reportedly considering a move for Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha, it almost goes without saying that Chelsea’s interest in the Netherlands Under-21 international places a considerable obstacle in the Hammers’ path.
Hammers News exclusively reported, via football correspondent Graeme Bailey, that Emanuel Emegha has admirers at West Ham.
The Hague-born 22-year-old scored 14 Ligue 1 goals in a stunning breakout campaign. Tall and gangly yet elegant and smoother on his feet than Fred Astaire in roller skates, Emegha is a centre-forward cut from the same cloth as Alexander Isak with Strasbourg reportedly valuing their talisman at an affordable £20 million.
Strasbourg president Marc Keller speaks out on West Ham United target Emanuel Emegha
Reports emerging late last month claimed that Chelsea had moved into pole position for Emegha. After Strasbourg fell short in their pursuit of European football, there is suddenly very little in the UEFA rules to stop The Blues from getting their man, and pipping West Ham to the post.
Though Marc Keller, Strasbourg’s president, appears to have his own plans for a striker who still has three years left on his contract.
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