West Ham have missed out on a £15m star to Saudi Arabia and now their top striker target could be next it is being claimed.
The Hammers mean business in the summer transfer window.
Top Brazilian sensation Luis Guilherme has joined West Ham in a deal worth £25m all in.
Wes Foderingham’s arrival gives West Ham experienced back-up who can be at the club for several years to come.
Now West Ham are closing in on signing number three – as exclusively revealed by Hammers News earlier today.
That being Wolves centre-back and captain Max Kilman in a deal worth – as confirmed by West Ham to Hammers News – £40m.
Technical director Tim Steidten is working on making eight signings this summer.
So after Kilman, presuming everything goes to plan with personal terms and a medical, West Ham fans can expect another five arrivals.
Possibly more if players such as Danny Ings, Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd and others depart.
Hammers News revealed that Julen Lopetegui presented David Sullivan and Steidten with a list of four targets he would like the club to sign when being interviewed.
Our reports stated the striker on the list was Youssef En-Nesyri, who shone under Lopetegui at Sevilla.
And the defender was Kilman, who he made captain at Wolves.
Steidten is leading recruitment, though, so expect a mixture of agreed targets between the German and the Spaniard.
West Ham want two new central defenders this summer.
Now it has come to light that West Ham were also in for a top centre-back Arthur Theate.
But West Ham have missed out on the £15m star to Saudi and now their top striker target could be next.
West Ham miss out on £15m star Theate to Saudi
According to Fabrizio Romano West Ham wanted 24-year-old Rennes and Belgium star Theate.
Romano has now given his trademark ‘here we go’ on a deal taking Theate to Al Ittihad, saying they beat the Hammers to the player.
“Arthur Theate to Al Ittihad, here we go!” Romano said.
“Deal in place for €18m (£15m) fee to Rennes, all done also on player side.
“First move for new coach Pioli, smart signing for Ittihad as many clubs were keen including West Ham. 24 year old Belgium international also completed medical.”
That means West Ham will likely now continue to pursue two other Ligue 1 centre-backs in the hope of adding one of them to the imminent capture of Kilman.
The Hammers have bid for Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo and have approached Lyon for Jake O’Brien.
Romano’s fellow Italian transfer reporter Rudy Galetti also has some bad news for West Ham on the transfer front.
Now Lopetegui’s top Hammers striker target could be next
Galetti claims Saudi club Al Qadsiah have formally approached Lopetegui’s former club Sevilla to ask for information to sign longstanding Hammers target En-Nesyri.
After failing in an attempt to sign Alvaro Morata, Al Qadsiah are planning to make an offer at Sevilla’s reported £17m asking price for En-Nesyri.
West Ham are also being rivalled by Fenerbahce for the Moroccan.
But Jose Mourinho can’t go past £12.5m for En-Nesyri, who is now in the last year of his contract.
The threat of Saudi clubs to deals for players who still have their peak years ahead of them looked to have waned of late.
If these claims are accurate, though, it seems that still remains a clear and present danger for West Ham and other clubs across Europe’s top leagues.
After a lull of news regarding En-Nesyri, expect his name to become more prevalent in the coming days as a result of the Saudi bid.