West Ham United are having a commendable ongoing season under David Moyes. They are currently 6th in the league table and are on the lookout for a Champions League spot for the upcoming season, or at least the Europa League spot.
No Premier League club has had a more happening January transfer window than the Irons.
Just when the footballing teams are running tight on the FFP ropes, West Ham United have somehow found a cheat code. With just a couple of days left for the transfer window, let’s have a look at a few of their transfer sagas.
Kalvin Phillips
Kalvin Phillips is officially making his way to West Ham this winter after a lengthy transfer saga. Rumours surfaced linking the Manchester City defensive midfielder to Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, but the tight FFP regulations in Spain never gave them a chance in the bidding war.
And the Hammers made the most of it. We will finally be able to witness the Englishman on the pitch in the clarets and the blue shirt after Manchester City and West Ham have agreed to a season-long loan deal for the midfielder.
However, the deal also includes a buying option. According to Fabrizio Romano, the buy option clause for West Ham to sign Kalvin Phillips permanently from Manchester City this June would set the club back £40 million.
West Ham can buy the player for £40m in the summer. It’s clear between both parties. 😊👌🏻
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 26, 2024
But probably in case West Ham decide to try to keep Kalvin in June, it will be a new negotiation potentially with other players being discussed. This is the reason for so many ‘changes’.
Phillips is a nice six-month rental, but the price on this buy option is simply too high for them to consider activating. His performance will determine whether the Hammers can buy him in June on a permanent deal. Probably, in case West Ham decides to try to keep Kalvin in June, it will involve a new negotiation, potentially with other players being discussed into the deal.
Up until then, West Ham will pay the full salary of £140,000 a week wages for Kalvin Phillips up to June.
Having played a very insignificant role in Manchester City, Kalvin’s move to West Ham for regular playtime is just sensible. Moreover, with Euro 2024 just around the corner.
Leif Davis
Ipswich Town has made a fantastic start to life back in the Championship after four seasons in League One, and few players have been more impressive than Leif Davis. Continuing his outstanding form from last year, the left-back has been a crucial part of their recent success.
Such form was always likely to alert top-flight clubs to his availability in the Premier League, and rightly it did.
According to The Football League World, West Ham has come forward as the potential suitor for Davis. Due to the inconsistency of Emerson and the speculation surrounding Aaron Cresswell’s potential departure, the Hammers have prioritized the signing of a left-back this month and have been keen on Davis.
With Davis’ contract set to expire at the end of next season, Ipswich Town will have to decide on his future soon.
The situation presents a financial and player-centric dilemma for both Ipswich Town. They will be reluctant to part ways with such a pivotal component of the team, but on the other hand, they might have to fall victim to the monetary purse of West Ham.
The interest is still in the preliminary stages, with no further steps from either club. With just a week left, it seems unlikely that the deal falls through this winter. But keep an eye on how this saga pans out during the next summer window.
Ibrahim Osman
After securing the midfield position, West Ham is all set to bolster their attacking options as well with the signing of Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Osman from the Danish Superliga side- FC Nordsjaelland.
According to the transfer market guru Fabrizio Romano, the Hammers are ‘close to reaching an agreement’ for the highly-rated winger, with a potential €18 million fee for his transfer. The 19-year-old’s move involves €16 million going to Nordsjaelland straight up, with the remaining 2-3 million euros being paid as add-ons.
Brentford and Brighton have also shown strong interest in Osman, but West Ham has won the race for the attacker. Further updates regarding the deal from player’s side are yet to be revealed as we still await the confirmatory ‘HERE WE GO’.
If the deal goes through, Osman will become the fifth Ghanaian player to represent West Ham United, joining the likes of Chris Hughton, John Paintsil, Andre Ayew, and Mohammed Kudus. Interestingly, Ibrahim Osman is a product of the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana, the same academy that nurtured Mohamed Kudus.
Valentin Carboni
David Moyes’ side is keen to strengthen their squad ahead of the second half of the season, particularly in the wide areas. Another prodigy that they have set their target on is Inter’s promising attacking midfielder, Valentin Carboni.
According to Calciomercato, the Premier League club have proposed a bid worth €11m in order to sign Carboni in the January transfer window.
However, his parent club Inter Milan is not interested in a sale at this stage of his career, as they have outright rejected the offer. Inter reportedly wants to keep the talented attacking midfielder and is said to demand almost double that amount before even considering any offer.
Currently, Carboni is out on loan to Monza. Inter Milan wants him to gain experience and have regular game time, something difficult to achieve at Inter. However, the Argentine will surely return to Inter at the end of the season, as Monza does not have an option to make his move permanent. The midfielder has been very impressive in Serie A this season during his loan spell, becoming a regular starter for Raffaele Palladino with two goals and three assists in 14 Serie A appearances.
Interestingly, Inter sources quoted by Calciomercato.com deny they ever received such an offer.
But one thing is clear, with his contract running until June 2028, Carboni is seen as one of the future talents of the Inter squad, to act as a partner to Lautaro Martinez. The Nerazzurri had absolutely no intention of losing control of Carboni on a long-term basis to the Hammers. Not at that price, for sure.
Pablo Fornals
Amidst all the reinforcement stories for West Ham, it looks like the Hammers are set to lose their attacking midfielder.
Reports have it that West Ham midfielder Pablo Fornals has been told that he needs to leave West Ham United as he ‘can’t be bothered’ to play anymore. The attacking midfielder’s game time has certainly been affected by the massive impact Mohammed Kudus has made since his arrival from Ajax last summer. The 27-year-old has made just four Premier League starts this season and is yet to notch a goal or assist across 964 minutes of action in a Hammers shirt.
The Spanish international joined the clarets in 2019 under Manuel Pellegrini for £25 million. By the looks of it, the chapter is on the verge of closing, as Fornals is currently being linked with a move away from the London Stadium in the January window, despite the fact that West Ham interestingly triggered a one-year extension to his deal just last month.
Having said that, it seems that Fornals have never escaped Pellegrini’s radar, as the now Real Betis coach has shown an interest in re-signing the player. Fornals also has given the unofficial thumbs up for the deal, as Betis are looking to negotiate a deal worth a fee of £6.8 million. West Ham, on the other hand, has been adamant for a higher figure.
However, with Fornals’ clear desire to leave the club and his contract expiring next summer, it looks unlikely that the East London club would be able to generate a higher fee for him.
If he isn’t playing regularly, his value will only continue to decrease, especially with his contract drawing nearer to its conclusion. In failing the permanent transfer deal, a discussion about a loan option has also been on the table. Any details regarding a buying clause within the loan deal are yet to be revealed.
Unfortunately, the Hammers might have to bite the bullet on this one and go ahead with the losses. All the agreements are still in the initial stage, but by the looks of it, this transfer saga will go down the wire.
