West Ham plan in place as high-cost Douglas Luiz transfer update emerges
West Ham United appear to have a long-term plan in place to secure a deal for playmaker Douglas Luiz.
The Juventus star has emerged as a key target for the Hammers, as Graham Potter looks to add some extra flair to his ranks.
However, it looks as if Potter and his recruitment team may have to be patient if a deal is going to be done this summer.
West Ham will adopt patient approach with Luiz
Luiz signed for Juventus from Aston Villa last summer, but he hasn’t settled well in Italy, and the Bianconeri are open to selling him.
However, they are keen to recoup a decent transfer fee for the Brazilian. They paid Aston Villa a cool £42million for him only a year ago.
West Ham are one of several Premier League teams interested in signing the player, although it appears as if none are keen to meet Juventus’ valuation.
La Gazzetta Dello Sport’s print edition (29 July, page 11) reports that West Ham are prepared to wait until the end of the transfer window to get a better deal for Luiz.
The idea is that the Turin club, who are said to be at risk, may accept a more reasonable fee when faced with the prospect of being stuck with Luiz until January.
It’s also suggested that a “high-cost” loan deal with an option to buy may be on the cards.
West Ham desperately need more flair players
It’s no secret that West Ham need more potent attacking players in their squad.
They only scored 46 Premier League goals last season, and Jarrod Bowen is seemingly their only reliable attacking threat, especially now they’ve sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham.
While it’s important not to get ripped off in the transfer market, the patient approach is risky and could leave the Hammers with no significant upgrades in attack.
Luiz is supposedly being monitored by the likes of Everton and Nottingham Forest as well. If one of those clubs makes an early bid, there’s a risk of getting beaten to the punch.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Goals | Assists |
| 26 | 841 | 0 | 0 |
Potter will surely be exploring other options rather than pinning all his hopes on Luiz. The Hammers boss has built a reputation for being savvy in the transfer market, but the pressure is heating up.
He’ll surely want to have a couple of attacking reinforcements in his squad before the Premier League season starts on 16 August.
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