West Ham contact Bologna over sale of Takehiro Tomiyasu – report
West Ham are reportedly keen on signing Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu this summer.
According to Calcio Atalanta, the Hammers have made calls to the Italian club to enquire about the player’s availability as they’re looking to bolster their defensive ranks.
It’s understood, after making headlines on Sky Sports, that the player should be available for £17.2million and Bologna are unlikely to accept anything less, having already rejected a £15.5million bid for him.
Spurs appear favourites currently to secure his services, but West Ham and Manchester United could swoop in with a late move for the Japanese international and would also have European football to offer the player.
Can beat them to it
The North London outfit are technically playing in Europe next season, but it’s unlikely that the lure of the UEFA Europa Conference League would be enough to convince a player to join.
They may have a new manager, but things behind the scenes appear far from settled there and that could play on the mind of a player if alternatives are offered to him.
It’s still uncertain whether or not we’re keen on pursuing the player. The report states that we only made a phone call to enquire about him, and it could be that our negotiators got put off by Bologna’s valuation of the player.
We’re very likely to sign a defender this summer, but it’s still early days in our quest for Tomiyasu and it remains to be seen whether we actually table a bid like Spurs did as they seem hellbent on securing his services.
On paper, he appears like a good fit for us. He’s 22, can play as a right-back and centre-back, is a full international and has a sky-high ceiling.
At such a young age, he’s already managed to showcase his prowess in a side like Bologna and seems destined to move to a bigger club this summer.
He’s definitely one to keep an eye out for.
In other West Ham news, Hammers turn down chance to sign player with 258 PL appearances – report
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