West Ham United push ahead of AC Milan in transfer race for Hugo Ekitike as striker preference emerges
West Ham have moved ahead of AC Milan in the “last few days” of negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain for Hugo Ekitike, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Italian sports paper reported via their website on Monday 28 August that the 21-year-old striker himself prefers a move to the San Siro but that “dream” is looking “difficult to achieve” after the Hammers got into the lead for his signature.
GdS only names West Ham and Milan as the two rivals in the race to sign the young Frenchman, who is set to leave the Parc des Princes after just one season.
Tim Steidten, who has already successfully closed the deal for Mohammed Kudus from Ajax and has now flown to Brazil for more face-to-face talks over Yuri Alberto, is believed to have also held negotiations with PSG advisor Luis Campos over Ekitike although it was previously claimed they wouldn’t follow through with a £27million deal.
Driver’s seat
The fireworks in the final week of the window don’t look like they are going to stop yet, at least not for the want of trying.
West Ham are pushing hard to land a new striker, and the possibility of two might not be beyond them with Gianluca Scamacca gone and both Danny Ings [Six Foot Two, 28 August] and key man Michail Antonio also linked with moves.
Whether either of the two incumbents stay or go before 1 September they aren’t long-term Irons players, with Antonio 33 despite his ongoing production, and Ings 31 but with little to show for his January move from Aston Villa.
Youssef En-Nesyri is a long-term target for David Moyes and is once again in his sights amid financial pressures at Sevilla, but it looks like Steidten has his mind set on Brazilian options with Pedro also a target alongside Alberto.
West Ham found themselves bogged down in similarly wide-spread pursuits earlier in the window, where a lack of decisiveness appeared to be costing them signings.
But after landing four transfers in short time there will be more confidence that the technical director can land at least one of these striking options, and it sounds like Ekitike is there for the taking if the money is right.
He might take some convincing but if AC Milan aren’t in a position to close the deal then his preference for a Serie A move might make him open to a Premier League switch instead, so there are decisions to be made at the London Stadium in the final few days.
In other West Ham news, yet another key Hammers star is being linked with a destabilising late move away before the deadline.