West Ham United loanee Nikola Vlasic drops hint on his future as exit nears
Nikola Vlasic remains unsure what the future at West Ham holds for him, but there’s a clear hint that he is enjoying his time in Italy.
The 25-year-old midfielder is currently playing in the World Cup with Croatia, but his future has come under intense speculation in recent months.
Vlasic joined the Hammers from CSKA Moscow for a fee of around £26.8m in the summer of 2021, but it seems like David Moyes wants to get rid of him.
After just one season at the club, Vlasic was sent on loan to Torino, where he has rediscovered his mojo, and has been playing some exciting football.
Torino can sign him permanently at the end of the season, and they are reportedly looking to bring his price down.
Claret and Hugh suggested on 6 December that West Ham want around £12.7 million for the midfielder and that a deal could now be close to being finalised.
“I’m very happy at Toro. The future? We’ll see what happens in the summer,” said Vlasic, as quoted by Informazione [7 December].
It’s clear from his statement that he is “very happy” in Italy, and although he doesn’t rule out a return to the London Stadium, it appears that he would be more than happy to continue in Serie A.
The Hammers probably need to sign a midfielder in the January window, or in the summer, especially if Declan Rice leaves the club.
Could there be a role for Vlasic? Unlikely. Moyes doesn’t fancy him at all, and the Hammers are more than happy to make a loss on him (a ridiculous decision) than have him back from his loan spell.