Ahead of another gruelling Premier League season, West Ham United are really making a splash in the transfer market.
With no European campaign to play during 2024/25, Julen Lopetegui should have the luxury of his players being able to rest at crucial times of the season, whereas their direct opponents for finishing in the European places at the end of the new season could have to rotate quite a bit more in order to keep everyone fit and firing at the business end.
Technical director, Tim Steidten, has already helped to execute some brilliant deals this summer, and according to CaughtOffside sources with knowledge of the Hammers transfer plans, the Irons have now made an opening bid of £25m for Villarreal’s Norwegian striker, Alexander Sorloth.
The La Liga club are open to selling the 28-year-old, who is understood to have a €38 million release fee, and the offer made by the Hammers is approaching that price tag.
It’s believed that AS Roma had been in talks with Sorloth’s agents for some time and they were about to reach an agreement on personal terms.
However, CaughtOffside sources now understand that the Giallorossi are concerned that the Norwegian striker’s thinking may change due to West Ham’s interest.
The East Londoners will hold talks with Sorloth’s agents this week, and will offer the player a contract until 2029/3030.
If the two clubs can then agree on a suitable price, assuming that the Yellow Submarine will negotiate with regards to the release fee, the matter will then be in the hands of the player.
As an old school type of centre-forward, he’d be entirely at home in the rough and tumble of the Premier League, and the Hammers will have landed themselves with a target man par excellence and a focal point of their attacks.
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