West Ham United now in talks to sign ‘desperate’ Al-Ittihad ace Jota in January
West Ham are now one of three Premier League clubs in talks to sign Jota from Al-Ittihad in the January transfer window, according to talkSPORT.
The news outlet reported on its live transfer tracker on Wednesday (24 January) that the Portuguese forward is “desperate” to leave the Saudi Pro League side this month.
The 24-year-old has been restricted to playing in cup competitions since signing from Celtic over the summer after he wasn’t registered for the Middle Eastern side’s league squad, with the Hammers now willing to give him more first-team opportunities at the London Stadium.
Interesting
There had been speculation swirling around that West Ham were looking into a potential move for Jota, but it’s interesting to hear that they are now in talks over a deal.
The main stumbling block, however, is likely to be down to the fact that the forward is believed to be earning up to £200,000 a week in Saudi Arabia.
That would shatter the Hammers’ wage structure if they were to pay out a sum of that nature, so either he would have to take a pay cut or Al-Ittihad would need to contribute to his salary.
David Moyes is clearly looking to bolster his attacking options in this window, though, so there could be some legs in this story if the right deal can be found.
With a deal for Kalvin Phillips entering the final stages and talks ongoing around other potential signings, this is undoubtedly an exciting time to be an Irons fan.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are set to announce a new behind-the-scenes appointment.
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