West Ham United suffer setback in pursuit of teenage wonder Rory MacLeod
West Ham United have suffered a setback in their pursuit of teenage Dundee United forward Rory MacLeod with the youngster closing in on a move to Fulham, according to 90min.
The report claims that Fulham have agreed on a deal with Dundee United which could rise up towards the £1m mark if all bonuses and add-ons are triggered.
West Ham United weren’t the only club interested in the talented youngster, with Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Southampton also expressing an interest in MacLeod.
MacLeod only turned 17 in early February but has already managed to make 12 Scottish Premiership appearances for Dundee United, a testament to his abilities.
The youngster is expected to finalise his Fulham move in the coming days and what could prove to be a real coup for the Cottagers.
Strategic partnership.
It looks like the Hammers have been trumped in this transfer story because of a secret alliance between Fulham and Dundee United.
Football Scotland reported on 20 February that Fulham and the Tangerines have a “strategic partnership” in place that could have helped them seal a deal for the youngster.
This isn’t unheard of in the modern game by any stretch of the imagination, however, it is odd that this partnership has never come to light before this deal.
Sometimes things like this play a massive role in the dealings of transfers and it likely left the Hammers with little to no chance of securing the talented Scotland youth international.
The said deal for the youngster should see him loaned back to Dundee United for the rest of the Scottish Premiership campaign, obviously in good faith of this alleged “partnership”.
West Ham United may have to get used to looking for more obscure talents like the Scottish wonder if their league position continues to get any worse.