Adrian Durham predicted future West Ham United transfer in 2021 as bid submitted for Ronnie Edwards
Adrian Durham may have predicted a future West Ham transfer when he urged the club to sign Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards two years ago.
The talkSPORT host tweeted on 8 December 2021 that the 20-year-old was a player the Hammers should make a move for as he had the East Londoners “written all over him”.
That prediction looks like it could be set to come true after the Evening Standard reported on 30 August that the Irons have now made a bid to sign the Posh centre-back.
It appears as though Durham really can predict the future after West Ham have finally taken him up on his recommendation to sign the youngster.
At the time of his tweet, Edwards was proving himself in the Championship, having made 15 appearances so far that season in the second tier at just 18 years old.
He would go on to play a further 19 times for Peterborough during the 2021/22 campaign, but his side were relegated after finishing third bottom.
Despite his breakthrough into the first team, surprisingly no suitors came in for the defender – with reported interest from Chelsea and Tottenham – and he remained at the club to help them secure a place in the League One playoffs last season.
After racking up 93 appearances for Posh, the national team setup is also keeping an eye on his development as he was part of the England U-19s side that won the European Championships last summer and he’s earned eight caps for the England U-20s, having taken part in the recent World Cup.
The centre-back has had a strong start to this season after picking up clean sheets in the opening two games to draw the attention of the Hammers.
The Evening Standard said negotiations between the two clubs are ongoing over a fee, with David Moyes looking to sign a player who will both provide centre-back cover and will stand out as a prospect for the future.
It won’t be an easy task to prize him away from Posh, though, as chairman Darragh MacAnthony is known for driving a hard bargain when letting his club’s best players leave and it’s likely to be the case with the defender.
In an interview with the Posh Plus service in July, he said: “It’s an absolute joke Ronnie is still here. We are all amazed and it’s not because we are being greedy or silly.
“He’s now far too good for us and I don’t believe he will still be with us when the season starts as he is made for some of the teams in the Premier League. This is not me making an advert for him, but clubs need to be serious and do the right deal.”
It could take a decent chunk of change for us to try and get a deal over the line for Edwards, but with the promise he has shown at such a young age, surely it’s a gamble worth taking as the transfer deadline approaches.
In other West Ham news, the club have turned their attentions to a £51million-rated forward.