West Ham United put Nayef Aguerd transfer exit saga to bed amid new Euro development
West Ham United have made their intentions on Nayef Aguerd’s future at the London Stadium very clear by including him in the forthcoming Europa League campaign squad.
The Moroccan centre-back has been the subject of much interest with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad willing to offer him pastures new before their transfer window closes on Thursday 7 September [GOAL., 4 September].
Sky Sports reported on 5 September on its live blog that no offers have been submitted for the former Rennes defender and it would take an “extraordinary” bid for the East Londoners to consider selling.
The Hammers are unwilling to allow Aguerd to leave in the near future due to the closure of the transfer window in England, as it would leave them unable to replace such a key player in their team.
There had also been talk that the centre-back had been waiting to be tempted by a move to Saudi [GOAL, 4 September] with Al-Ittihad preparing a “great welcome” for the player, who has been offered a whopping £8.55million per year in wages.
No matter who you are, that is a staggering rise in wages and a package any footballer would have to seriously consider, as we’ve seen on numerous occasions throughout the summer.
However, West Ham’s stance on Aguerd’s importance to their cause have been made abundantly clear with the Irons including him in their Europa League squad which was submitted to UEFA on Tuesday 5 September [WHUFC website].
Given the player is under contract at London Stadium until 2027, West Ham very much holds all the cards as far as any transfer is concerned and this latest European development certainly sends a message to the player and any interested Saudi party that he is indeed not for sale.
It is tough to put a figure on exactly what an “extraordinary” bid would be, but that stance is just another way for the Irons to reiterate that Aguerd is untouchable.
The Moroccan international has enjoyed a stunning first year in East London and has emerged as a leading player in the squad already in the new campaign, a commodity the club simply cannot afford to lose which Moyes planning a full-scale assault both domestically and on the European front.
West Ham United may have brought in Konstantinos Mavropanos this summer but the Greek defender still needs time and room to acclimatise to new surroundings, so it would send out the wrong message to accept any bids for Aguerd even if it is “extraordinary”.
The days of the Hammers succumbing to tempting offers for their star players are now over and this latest development certainly shows how much of a rise they’ve made amongst Europe’s elite.
In other West Ham news, one London Stadium target could have cost around just £15m had the Hammers made a last-ditch attempt to sign him.