West Ham United target Artem Dovbyk turns down Atletico Madrid transfer
West Ham are still in the running to sign Girona striker Artem Dovbyk after he turned down a move to Atletico Madrid, according to Patrick Berger.
The Sky Sports Germany journalist claimed on 26 July that the Ukraine striker’s agent Oleksiy Lundovsky stated Atletico’s project and financial offer were not to their satisfaction.
While the Hammers are in the race to sign the 27-year-old, it’s understood that Roma are the favourites to secure his services.
Berger wrote on X: “Artem Dovbyk (27) has decided to NOT join Atlético Madrid. The striker has rejected an offer of the Spanish side.
” ‘Atlético is a great club, but we didn’t see a serious project for Artem here, and their offer is significantly lower in financial terms compared to the offers from other clubs interested’, Artem‘s agent Oleksiy Lundovsky says to Ukrfootball.”
“AS Roma now in pole position so sign Dovbyk, as reported. West Ham with outsider chances.”
West Ham will find it hard to sign Artem Dovbyk ahead of Roma
The Hammers face an uphill battle in their pursuit of Dovbyk, with AS Roma being the frontrunners for his signature.
The Italian side’s stature project may be more appealing to the 27-year-old, making it difficult for the Irons to convince him to choose the London Stadium over the Italian capital.
To stand a chance against Roma, the London outfit must present a compelling project and a competitive financial offer.
They need to demonstrate their ambition, the role Dovbyk would play in the team, and how they plan to challenge for titles and compete in European competitions.
Additionally, Julen Lopetegui should himself step in and highlight the benefits of playing in the Premier League, the most competitive and watched league globally.
They can also leverage their recent successes and the appeal of living in London to attract Dovbyk.
The lure to play in the Premier League has seen players move to sides battling relegation as well and the Hammers are clearly on the other side of the table and it would not be a backwards move for the striker.
In other West Ham news, Arsenal and Newcastle have made late moves to hijack Spurs’ deal to secure the services of a Hammers player this summer.
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