West Ham United name Michail Antonio price as Galatasaray chiefs jets in for transfer
Galatasaray director Erden Timur has flown to London for discussions with West Ham surrounding a deal for striker Michail Antonio, according to Turkish outlet Fanatik.
The report states that Timur will sit down with West Ham to discuss a deal for Antonio, with the Hammers asking for £5.9million for the striker, while Galatasaray are reluctant to meet that price tag and will try to negotiate it down.
Galatasaray would look to get a deal for Antonio finalised as soon as possible, as they want him to be able to feature in the Champions League second qualifying round on 25 July. It does, however, suggest that Antonio would arrive as a backup option if the deal for Mauro Icardi if he also joins.
Icardi is currently a Paris Saint-Germain player but spent last season on loan with the Turkish champions, who are keen to sign him on a permanent basis, although the club have decided to ‘act decisively’ in the deal for Antonio as the process with Icardi is being prolonged.
Backup needed.
If West Ham already has an option in mind to replace Antonio this summer, then letting him move on would make sense, especially with the price tag set at around £6million for the 33-year-old, which could be invested back into the squad.
If the club can adequately replace him, any deal that sees the club make money on what must simply be seen as a depreciating asset can be looked upon favourably, although it will be hard to find a player who can affect a game like Antonio can.
Antonio has been somewhat of a stalwart at West Ham, having joined the club in 2015, making 276 appearances for the club and scoring 75 goals. Admittedly, it would be a surprise if he swaps East London for Istanbul this summer, but the deal certainly looks like it’s on the cards.
With the Turkish club’s director flying to London for discussions, and the desire to get a deal done before 25 July, this could be one that moves quickly in the coming days.
In other West Ham news, Tim Steidten is the man driving their latest transfer bid.