West Ham: £140m duo could ‘end up signing’ at London Stadium
West Ham United’s lack of progress on a deal for a £140m duo doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t end up signing at the London Stadium.
West Ham United’s lack of progress on deals to sign midfielders Joao Palhinha and James Ward-Prowse doesn’t neccesarily mean they won’t arrive at the London Stadium at some point, journalist Paul Brown has suggested to GIVEMESPORT
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With Arsenal set to secure the signature of West Ham captain Declan Rice, the Irons will look to the transfer market to replace their dynamo.
The London Stadium outfit have negotiated a deal worth £105m, which could enable them to make two top-quality additions in the centre of the pitch this summer.
One player on West Ham’s radar is Fulham’s Palhinha, but the east London side have been dealt a blow following the Cottagers’ decision to slap a £90m price tag on the energetic middle man.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph reports that Southampton captain Ward-Prowse, reportedly valued at £50m, is keen to move to West Ham, having seen the Saints relegated to the Championship last season.
Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor has recently told GIVEMESPORT that signing the 28-year-old England international would be a “no-brainer” for the Hammers as they look to life after Rice.
Brown has indicated that progress on deals to sign Palhinha and Ward-Prowse has not yet been made but says this doesn’t mean the pair won’t necessarily end up signing for West Ham.
What has Brown said about West Ham?
Brown told GIVEMESPORT: “Rice is the big midfielder that everyone is waiting to leave, and then I think we’ll see a lot of transfers made once that’s done. I don’t think there’s been much progress made on either of those two names, but it doesn’t mean they won’t end up at West Ham at some point.”
Would Palhinha and Ward-Prowse be good signings for West Ham?
Replacing skipper Rice is an unenviable task, but making two additions in the ilk of Palhinha and Ward-Prowse would go a long way to filling the void left by the influential midfield man.
Palhinha’s adaptation to the Premier League following his arrival from Sporting Lisbon last summer has been exceptional, having proven himself to be the all-round star Marco Silva would have hoped for.
The 27-year-old averaged 4.2 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in the Premier League last term whilst also chipping in with three goals of his own, as per WhoScored.
Meanwhile, Ward-Prowse couldn’t prevent Southampton from finishing bottom of the league despite his best efforts, having produced 13 goal contributions across his 38 top-flight outings.
West Ham fans will be disappointed at Rice’s departure, however, signing two midfielders at the peak of their powers would no doubt soften the blow.
