Vladimir Coufal West Ham United exit stalls as Fulham turn interest toward Cedric Soares
Vladimir Coufal’s move from West Ham to Fulham was made more complicated this week after it was revealed by The Sun that they’re also after Arsenal’s Cedric Soares.
Coufal has fallen down the pecking order in east London, with David Moyes playing both Thilo Kehrer and Ben Johnson ahead of him multiple times this season.
As a result, the Czech international has spoken out about his unhappiness at the club [Football Club], and rumours of a move to Fulham started to emerge. [FulhamWeb]
However, Claret & Hugh have now reported that Coufal’s move across London may be ruined by the Cottagers turning their attention to Arsenal’s Soares instead.
The Sun report that Coufal is set to make a permanent move to Fulham in January, with Marco Silva an admirer of the 31-year-old since the summer.
An exit for Coufal can’t be ruled out this January, but this is certainly a stumbling block in his departure.
Could stay put
Coufal is clearly unhappy with the treatment he’s received from Moyes this season. After being such a consistent and regular part of the team for two years it seems Coufal is struggling to adapt to a more part-time role in the squad.
It’s hard to blame him for wanting to move on, but also it’d be incredibly sad for the club to lose such a good servant.
There is, of course, an option for Coufal to stay. His contract has an extension clause available to the club, although Coufal may be angered if the club keeps him against his will.
He’ll be frantically searching for more suitors next month, and Moyes needs to quickly decide if he wants to let Coufal go or not.
If he does depart, West Ham will likely have to dip into the transfer market for a fitting replacement. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been linked heavily, with the Manchester Evening News reporting this week that the Hammers are interested in his signature next month.