West Ham United and Nottingham Forest in head-to-head talks with Porto defender Zaidu Sanusi
West Ham are in rival talks with Nottingham Forest for Porto defender Zaidu Sanusi in addition to Sevilla’s Marcos Acuna, according to 90min.
The outlet reported via their website on Friday (25 August) that the two Premier League sides are both attempting to strengthen the competition for their starting left-backs – Emerson and Ola Aina respectively – before the window closes and are speaking to both Sanusi, 26, and veteran World Cup winner Acuna, 31.
Nigerian international Sanusi has four years left on his contract with the Portuguese giants but both the Hammers and Forest are looking at a deal.
The two top flight clubs are no strangers to competition for targets at the left-back position this summer, having also both been interested in Adrien Truffert at Rennes [L’Equipe, 27 July] before he signed a new contract to stay in France.
Head to head
With central midfield now strengthened with the addition of Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse, and centre-back cover arriving in the form of Konstantinos Mavropanos, things are finally coming together but there is still a lot of business to get done in the final week of the window.
Tim Steidten has been working overtime to secure a deal for Mohammed Kudus and looks to have done a very strong job with the Ajax attacker on his way in for a medical over the weekend.
After that a striker and a left back look like the primary requirements to make the transfer window look like a qualified success after weeks of frustration and behind-the-scenes complications.
If West Ham and Forest are both in for the two left-backs it may end up being a one each outcome, and while Acuna is arguably the more established name he is already 31 so wouldn’t replace wantaway Aaron Cresswell for long.
But Sanusi could be expensive with so long left on his deal so it might depend on how much the club are willing to pay and whether they expect him to challenge for the starting role ahead of Emerson over time.
Sanusi was linked to a late window move to the London Stadium two years ago but the club couldn’t snap him up on deadline day [Record, 6 September 2021, p.9].
So with Moyes returning to another years-long pursuit with Acuna’s Sevilla teammate Youssef En-Nesyri he may be looking to get more unfinished business tied up after a long wait.
In other West Ham news, a Hammers favourite wants to get out before the deadline amid the club’s attempts to bring new options in.