West Ham United must keep Emerson after Fabrizio Romano shares transfer update
Julen Lopetegui has not had to deal with many outgoing transfers since arriving at West Ham earlier this summer.
Flynn Downes’ £18million move to Southampton is, arguably, the biggest blow for the Hammers in the summer transfer window so far [Dharmesh Sheth], with several other players linked with exits.
Alphonse Areola, Nayef Aguerd, Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen are all stars being linked with moves away from the London Stadium this summer, though it is uncertain how accurate these reports are.
One area of the pitch that seems to be of considerable concern to Lopetegui is the full-back positions, with the Hammers keeping tabs on multiple right-back targets so far.
The left-back spot, on the other hand, is well occupied by Emerson and Aaron Cresswell, though the former has also been linked with a move back to Italy after just two seasons at the club.
The 29-year-old is ready to leave the Premier League, according to Leggo via ASRomaLive [4 June], with a return to AS Roma mooted as a possible outcome this summer.
However, Emerson leaving would leave just 34-year-old Cresswell at left-back, and the latest update suggests one of the Hammers’ potential replacements is now off the market.
West Ham United to keep Emerson as Ryan Sessegnon close to Fulham return
Fulham have agreed a deal to bring Ryan Sessegnon back to Craven Cottage after seeing his Tottenham contract expire, according to Fabrizio Romano, after training with Crystal Palace for weeks.
The Hammers were one of the teams interested in acquiring the 26-year-old’s signature this summer [Jacob Steinberg] but Lopetegui now has no other option but to persuade Emerson to stay in London.
He was a favourite under David Moyes, making 81 appearances over the last two years but has been out of the Italy national team set-up since 2023, having won 29 caps in total.
That could be a defining factor in whether Emerson seeks a move elsewhere this summer.
In other West Ham news, Nottingham Forest have responded after the Hammers made a player-plus-cash bid for Neco Williams.
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