Carlos Soler makes Paris Saint-Germain exit admission after late West Ham United transfer
Carlos Soler has admitted he was “relieved” to exit Paris Saint-Germain and join West Ham United late in the summer transfer window.
The Spanish midfielder was the Hammers’ last signing in a busy summer window, joining Julen Lopetegui’s ranks at the London Stadium in a straight loan switch [Fabrizio Romano, 31 August].
Although the deal was completed at the last minute, Soler has revealed he was contacted earlier in the transfer window and admits the opportunity to work under Lopetegui again seduced him into making the move.
Speaking to Marca on Saturday (19 October) he said: “We were already negotiating. But when they told me that I could travel I already felt more relieved… and I ended up signing 15 or 20 minutes before the market closed.
“In fact, the contract didn’t arrive until five minutes earlier. He [Lopetegui] told me he needed a player from my profile.
“He told me that they were building a good project. The first time we contacted them they had only made two signings and we ended up making seven or eight. I was seduced by the idea of being able to reach a new team under construction and with a coach I knew.
“It is true that there is also a lot of competition [Edson, Soucek, Guido, Paquetá…], but he also told me that my versatility could allow me to play in different positions and I think that benefits me.”
What has happened to West Ham ace Carlos Soler after PSG exit?
West Ham fans are yet to see the best of Soler in claret and blue, but it can only be a good thing that he was so keen to leave PSG and make the move to the London Stadium.
As the midfielder suggests, there is an awful lot of competition in the middle of the park at this stage and it will not be easy for the Spaniard to hold down a regular starting role. But his adaptability and versatility could be a major boost.
He offers something completely different to the likes of Tomas Soucek and Guido Roddriguez and over the course of a 38-game league season, Lopetegui is going to need to be able to call upon him to make an impact.
Hopefully, the international break will have given the Spanish international more time to adapt to the English game.
In time, Soler should only begin to look more and more comfortable in the Premier League. It is easy to forget just how big a step up it is from Ligue 1.
In other West Ham news, Thomas Frank has been backed to exit Brentford to move to the London Stadium
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