Carney Chukwuemeka to West Ham: Likely outcome named ‘as Chelsea exit nears’
Carney Chukwuemeka would choose a move to Juventus over West Ham United, according to TBR Football.
The news outlet reported on Wednesday (29 January) that the 21-year-old has named the Serie A giants as his preferred destination, with Juve set to sanction the exit of Douglas Luiz to Manchester City.
Everton and West Ham have therefore learned they will be unsuccessful with an approach for Chukwuemeka, only weeks after Chelsea made him available for a permanent transfer.
Enzo Maresca also toyed with the idea of sending the midfielder to affiliate side Strasbourg [Ben Jacobs], but now, once Juventus send Luiz back to the Premier League, a move to Italy is the likely destination.
West Ham United to miss out on Carney Chukwuemeka
At 21, Chukwuemeka would have been the ideal addition to freshen up Graham Potter’s options in the engine room, but unfortunately, the Irons cannot compete with Champions League football.
As per The Guardian (22 January), Potter wants three new signings before the 3 February deadline, with a deep-lying midfielder high on the list of priorities.
West Ham have a torrid track record when recruiting central midfielders, with summer signing Guido Rodriguez already exploring options to end his “disaster” spell in England [The Times].
Furthermore, Potter has inherited an ageing squad and must work towards lowering the average age of the regular starters while improving the quality.
However, with Chukwuemeka now off the cards, it appears the Irons are reverting to type after a £21million bid for Rodrigo De Paul was rejected by Atletico Madrid [Marca] – another 30-year-old midfielder.
Nevertheless, with less than a week until the window closes, the Hammers are running out of options and may have to settle for the best available player on the market to ensure the boss has something to work with heading into a potential relegation scrap.
In other West Ham news, the Irons “move for Giacomo Raspadori” as Napoli’s stance emerges.
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