West Ham ‘set for major ridicule’ as Sunderland reach transfer agreement
Sunderland look set to beat West Ham to a transfer target.
In less than a month, West Ham will make the trip to Wearside to face the Black Cats in their Premier League opener, and as it stands, the Irons will enter the game with a weaker squad than they had last season.
Mohammed Kudus’ departure to Tottenham has left a major hole in Graham Potter’s forward line, while several other areas have needed some attention for some time now.
Bolstering the midfield was set to be a priority for the Hammers, but Sunderland look set to hamper those plans after a recent update.
Granit Xhaka in Sunderland agreement amid West Ham interest
Granit Xhaka emerged as a surprise target for West Ham on Monday (21 July), after it was revealed that Potter wanted more midfielders.
However, as per David Ornstein via X (22 July), the Swiss international has now reached an agreement in principle with Sunderland, who remain locked in negotiations with Leverkusen.
| Granit Xhaka’s 2024/25 Bundesliga statistics | Total |
| Appearances | 33 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 7 |
| Touches | 94.5 |
| Accurate passes | 75.8 (91%) |
| Big chances created | 7 |
Xhaka is said to “only want” Sunderland, which speaks volumes about the general consensus around the project at hand at the London Stadium.
Sunderland have only just been promoted after an eight-year absence from the Premier League, and the fact that they are more appealing to such a high-profile player does nothing but set the Irons up for major ridicule.
West Ham failing to back Potter
Last season was a nightmare for the Hammers, and with the summer window open, the hope was that the East London outfit would utilise it to ensure that the failure isn’t repeated.
However, as of yet, West Ham have not made any additions to spark excitement ahead of the new campaign, and with the season less than a month away, time is running out.
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