West Ham United transfer news: £17m January transfer linked to Jota falls through as another London Stadium deal collapses
Everything appeared to be complete on the deal for West Ham to sign Jota from Al-Ittihad before the deal fell apart, according to Foot Mercato.
The French outlet reported on their website on 31 January that due to the transfer window closing a day earlier in the Saudi Pro League, with Nabil Fekir due to come in to replace the former Celtic attacker, both deals collapsed as time ran out.
The Real Betis man was due to move to Al-Ittihad for €20million [£17.1m] but with space needing to be made and the Saudi side keeping hold of Jota the Frenchman has now been left in La Liga.
Aawsat News journalist Nawaf Al-Aqeel had reported earlier on 31 January that Jota was now registered in the league squad, ending hopes of a move to the London Stadium.
Calamity
The Portuguese winger was believed to have already agreed terms to come to West Ham so for his move to fall apart at the 11th hour is a major disappointment.
And coming after the previous pursuit of FC Nordsjaelland’s Ibrahim Osman also collapsed, despite initially looking promising, it is a very unwelcome double from the Hammers’ point of view, and also from Betis’ by the looks of things.
With the Spanish side thought to be in the process of signing Pablo Fornals before the window shuts there could even be the potential for the Jota disappointment to have a second negative knock-on effect for the Irons.
Betis are reportedly selling Luiz Henrique in order to bring in the London Stadium attacker so that deal should, in theory, still go through.
Given the events since Kalvin Phillips’ arrival it is starting to become a wonder that West Ham managed to get the loan deal done with Manchester City at all, but a lack of attacking arrivals is threatening to render the window a disappointment.
In other West Ham news, yet another Hammers deal that looked set to be done before the deadline is now hanging in the balance.
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