DONE DEAL:West Ham has signed Kalvin Phillips who was Manchester City strong midfieder,and still Manchester United target this summer

DONE DEAL:West Ham has signed Kalvin Phillips who was Manchester City strong midfieder,and still Manchester United target this summer

After winning the Europa Conference League against Fiorentina, David Moyes’ West Ham side are once again an attractive proposition for players.

Particularly given that the east Londoners will be playing in next season’s Europa League and, if the Hammers get the money that they want for Declan Rice, they could be doing so with a much stronger squad than they’ve had over the past two seasons.

Though they were undone by Eintracht Frankfurt in the competition the season before last, that they made it all the way to the semi-final suggested that Moyes knew exactly what it took to win games in Europe, and their disappointment at missing out on the trophy was more than made up for by their recent win in the sister competition.

With that experience under their belts, studious signings across the summer will surely hold West Ham in good stead for 2023/24.

To that end, FC Inter News quote a report in Gazzetta dello Sport which indicates that the Hammers and Internazionale were in talks for versatile Argentinian striker, Joaquin Correa.

It isn’t clear at this stage whether talks are progressing or not, however, the fact that the east Londoners are taking steps to align themselves with players of such calibre shows that they’re moving in the right direction.

Though WhoScored note that he only managed four goals in 40 matches last season for Inter, that doesn’t tell the full story, as most of his appearances were for a few minutes here and there.

Indeed, he only played 90 minutes on a single occasion, and if West Ham firm up their initial approach, that has to be of interest to Correa.

3:40pm
West Ham United transfer news as Newcastle ready £60m+ offer for Lucas Paqueta
Newcastle United are interested in signing West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta and could be ready to put over £60m on the table, according to Fichajes.net.

The Hammers splashed a club record £51m on bringing him to east London last summer, and after some early teething issues, the Brazilian eventually emerged as one of the club’s key performers as they secured their first major trophy in 43 years winning the Europa Conference League.

Newcastle have been previously linked with the former Lyon attacking midfielder and had him as a top target to join their revolution under Eddie Howe before West Ham made their move.

And according to Fichajes [21 June], Newcastle are looking to significantly bolster their squad ahead of their Champions League quest next season, and Paqueta has been identified as a top target for Eddie Howe.

The Magpies would be willing to offer more than €70m (£60m) on the table for the Brazilian this summer.

With West Ham United set to lose Declan Rice this summer, with Arsenal frontrunners for his signature, it is absolutely unlikely that Moyes would be willing to see Paqueta walk out also.

The Hammers would arguably be losing two of their best players to top Premier League clubs and that will be a damaging sight for West Ham United and their lofty ambitions both domestically and on the European front next season.

The Brazilian maestro has been a sensational and influential outlet in recent months, after undergoing a tough start to life at the London Stadium and if the Hammers harbour to reach the top echelons of the Premier League again, then selling a player of Paqueta’s quality sends out the wrong message.

Newcastle United may be willing to go as high as £60m for his services but such an offer should not be entertained given Paqueta’s quality and importance to Moyes and more crucially, the West Ham United faithful who have steadily grown to love him.

If West Ham want to attract top stars to the club, then they’d need to keep players in the ilk of the 26-year-old magician, it’s that simple.

There could well be a huge uproar in East London, should the Hammers even entertain any offers for their Brazilian superstar.