Spartak Moscow react as Alex Kral is linked with West Ham transfer
West Ham want Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral this summer as manager David Moyes looks to bolster his options in the middle of the park.
The Hammers have held extensive talks to sign the Czech Republic international [The Express] and a Twitter account called ‘The Source‘, who works for the Guardian, claims that they have agreed personal terms with him.
Kral has continued to fuel the speculations with his various social media activities, and while he appears keen on joining West Ham, Spartak’s PR department director Anton Fetisov has said only a lucrative offer will tempt the club into parting ways with him this summer.
“Kral has a very professional attitude towards his career and as a result, he has become a backbone player for Spartak,” Fetisov told Championat.
“The club will only consider a very lucrative offer for a possible transfer.”
Kral joined Spartak from Slavia Prague in September 2019 for €12million, penning a five-year deal.
The 23-year-old featured in 29 league games in 2020-21, contributing five assists as his side finished in second place behind Zenit Saint Petersburg.
The Russian giants booked a place in the Champions League’s third qualifying round as a result, but Kral could be elsewhere in the coming weeks.
The Daily Mirror reckons it could take West Ham around £30million to land their man, and whether Moyes is keen to break the bank for a midfielder remains to be seen.
An expensive back-up
With Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice both expected to remain at the London Stadium next season, splashing the cash on another enforcer not guaranteed regular playing chances makes little sense.
Spartak are clearly not looking to sell Kral on a cheap this summer, but just maybe around €24million – double of what they bought him for – could be enough to tempt them into parting ways with him.
West Ham really could do with a quality cover and competition in the position with the ageing Mark Noble no longer as influential he used to be on the pitch, and it will be interesting to see whether they will go after Kral in the coming weeks.
In other West Ham news, West Ham are set to sell centre-back to London rivals this summer.
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