Stars align in Declan Rice replacement search as ‘valuable’ Yunus Musah wants West Ham United transfer
West Ham will be very busy this summer, with plenty of comings and goings expected following an interesting campaign for the East London outfit.
Star midfielder and club captain Declan Rice will, of course, dominate the headlines over the coming weeks amid the opening of the transfer window.
But his likely exit means that the Hammers will already be searching for a suitable replacement, one that is capable of growing into the role in years to come.
Step forward Valencia star Yunus Musah, who according to the Daily Mirror (page 65, 16 June), is keen on a switch to East London.
The publication adds that the midfielder, who is valued at £21million, has long been admired by David Moyes, with Valencia eager to have a deal in place by the end of this month.
The Hammers need to act carefully but swiftly in order to fill the gap left by Rice, and it seems that the stars really have aligned amid this Musah update.
It won’t be at the front of their minds, but the powers that be at West Ham may also be thinking about the long-term future when it comes to the Valencia star, in that he could be moved on for a huge fee at some point down the line if he really hits the ground running at the London Stadium.
Musah is also a fully-fledged international, already boasting 25 caps for the USA despite only turning 20 in November.
His most recent cap came in a 3-0 CONCACAF Nations League win over Mexico on Thursday (15 June), with MLS Soccer handing the midfielder a match rating of 8.0, noting: “If not for the heroics of Christian Pulisic, Musah had a case for the man of the match, doing all the dirty work in midfield and in ball progression that makes him so valuable to this group.”
His starring role for the country came after several years of representing England in his youth, before making the choice to line out for the country of his birth on the senior stage.
It won’t have been an easy decision, but it is one that shows the youngster can make the big calls and is not afraid to upset anyone despite being so young, a characteristic that will help him develop quickly at West Ham.
A midfield partner of the likes of Leeds United ace Tyler Adams and their former loanee Weston McKennie at international level, Musah will no doubt be having a few words with the duo about what it is like to play in the Premier League.