Torino sporting director jets in to propose potential West Ham United swap deal for Nikola Vlasic
Torino’s sporting director Davide Vagnati has been in London to assess whether West Ham United would be interested in signing Serbian midfielder Sasa Lukic, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
The 26-year-old looks certain to leave Turin after failing to agree on a new contract, with his current deal running until the summer of 2024.
Torino are eager to sign Nikola Vlasic permanently, and Tuttosport (7 December) suggest the Serie A club have asked for a discount in order to complete the signing.
However, Tuttomercatoweb have now claimed (13 December) that including Lukic in the negotiations would allow the Irons to lower their £12.5million fee for Vlasic.
Smart move
Lukic has attracted a lot of interest in recent weeks, and if the Hammers can jump to the front of the queue, it’s a move they should certainly look to pursue. The 26-year-old would be an experienced midfield option for David Moyes to use, and would potentially ease the blow of losing Declan Rice.
The England international looks destined to depart after another impressive showing representing his country at an international tournament. His exit does seem inevitable now, and if he does depart, Moyes’ midfield options would be looking incredibly thin.
Lukic represented Serbia at the World Cup in Qatar and would be more than capable of starting in West Ham’s midfield, should Rice exit the London Stadium. Another younger addition could also be an area for Moyes to look at.
This seems like a good move for all concerned, with Torino signing Vlasic for a lower fee and West Ham managing to acquire a proven international midfielder.