West Ham United hold transfer talks over £40million-rated Leicester star Harvey Barnes with Declan Rice cash on the way
West Ham have held talks over signing Leicester’s Harvey Barnes ahead of a cash boost from selling Declan Rice, Jacob Steinberg reports.
The Hammers like the now-relegated Foxes attacker and negotiations now appear to have already started, with about a £10million gap in the positions of either club.
Leicester value the Englishman at £40million while the Irons want to pay £30million, and there is widespread competition for his signature this summer from Aston Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle.
Steinberg reports in The Guardian that West Ham will have “access to funds” once they sell captain Rice, as they hold out for £100million from Arsenal who reportedly hope to spend £90million.
Barnes is thought to suit David Moyes’ counter-attacking style, with the manager set to remain in place at the London Stadium.
Head start
Now that the decision at manager appears to have been settled by the Europa Conference League triumph, the club need to make sure there is no repeat of the past Premier League season.
Last summer’s transfer additions didn’t pay off amid a clash of styles with the Scot’s pragmatic outlook, although the likes of Lucas Paqueta have improved later in the campaign.
Buying players to suit his preferred tactics seems to be the only way forward, so 13-league-goal Barnes makes a lot of sense.
The trophy win certainly helps the West Ham cause against three teams who would otherwise perhaps have the advantage in convincing the 25-year-old to join.
But with a huge windfall expected from selling Rice it may be that asking prices are ramped up when the Irons attempt to buy this summer.
They will have to be careful not to waste money, but the need to augment a squad that looked uneven for most of the year is clear to avoid another flirtation with relegation next term, so negotiations will need to move swiftly if they are to avoid being overtaken by a transfer rival.