West Ham approach Leeds United over Tyler Adams as Chelsea and Aston Villa wait for transfer decisions
West Ham have made an approach to Leeds United asking for information on a deal for Tyler Adams this summer, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper reported on its website Wednesday (2 August) that the Hammers are one of five clubs who have done so, with the US international available for £25million thanks to a release clause in his contract following relegation.
Aston Villa are apparently now ready to trigger it but are waiting on an answer from the 24-year-old over his intentions, while Chelsea are also hovering, and both Brighton and Nottingham Forest have made their own enquiries.
The Irons are struggling badly to find an answer to replacing Declan Rice, with wrangling over James Ward-Prowse from Southampton currently centre-stage.
The Englishman had been mooted as the top choice to be paired with a more defensive option like Adams, but the hierarchy at the London Stadium are finding success difficult on everyone currently.
Simple?
For a £25m fee that Leeds can’t refuse there is a lot to like about a move for Adams, and with so many other clubs interested it is clear to see how highly he is rated in the Premier League.
The main issue for all involved is that the midfielder is not yet back to full fitness from the hamstring surgery that ended last season early for him, and isn’t expected to be back until after the window closes [Mail, 23 July].
Since David Moyes needs multiple midfielders this summer that doesn’t have to rule him out, with replacements possibly needed for Tomas Soucek and Flynn Downes as well.
But given how difficult it has turned out to be to land any of the preferred targets, including the likes of Joao Palhinha, Edson Alvarez, Scott McTominay and Ward-Prowse, it would be a risk if they were to be going into the season having only secured someone who can’t contribute for some weeks.
Denis Zakaria has been close for some time and the former Chelsea loanee would be a good starting point at long last if West Ham can beat the competition to get a deal for the Swiss over the line.
Adams in addition sounds like a nice idea still if a more forward-thinking option comes in too, but Zakaria potentially being the first might rule him out since there also defenders and a striker soon to be needed, although if the wait for a midfielder goes on much longer his £25m clause will look more and more attractive.
In other West Ham news, a familiar wages problem has seen the Irons let a “real coup” slip through their fingers.