BREAKING NEWS:West Ham has signed Fulham midfielder in replacement of Declan Rice

BREAKING NEWS:West Ham has signed Fulham midfielder in replacement of Declan Rice

Fabrizio Romano insists West Ham United are ready to formally approach Fulham for Joao Palhinha. The Hammers seek a high-profile replacement for Declan Rice, who will leave the club. They also have the names such as Edson Alvarez on the list, among others.

West Ham United does not want to waste any time securing a proper replacement for Declan Rice. The England international seems poised to leave the club after he returns from international duty. Arsenal are the current favorites to land the 24-year-old.

The Gunners are advancing in negotiations and are reportedly poised to make a £100 million bid to tempt the Hammers. The London side are keen to bring in a top-quality replacement early, with Joao Palhinha their priority target.

The Fulham midfielder has been a revelation since moving from Sporting CP last season. His performances had already caught the attention of some of the top clubs, including Liverpool. Yet, none have made any concrete approaches so far

West Ham are now preparing to open talks with Fulham to understand the conditions for signing Joao Palhinha. They have been keeping tabs on the midfielder since the start of the month but were waiting to understand at what price Rice might sell for.

With the Hammers set to receive a considerable fee for Rice, it’s safe to assume they will have the funds to make a big splash. Fulham reportedly want between £50-60 million for the 27-year-old Premier League star, but the Hammers would want a lower fee in return.

In hindsight, Fulham might consider the Hammers a direct rival in the league. They will want to extract the best price before selling a key player directly. West Ham are also interested in Edson Alvarez, but the Mexican seems poised to join Borussia Dortmund instead.

With Palhinha, the Hammers see a player with immense know-how of the Premier League. He could slot straight into their first-team plans. Despite the high fee, there are merits to signing the 27-year-old to strengthen their midfield in this window.

West Ham ‘will make bid’ to sign £50m star at the London Stadium
BY
AMOS MURPHY
PUBLISHED 21 MINUTES AGO
West Ham are now expected to make a bid for £50m star

Ham United are now expected to lodge a bid for James Ward-Prowse at some point during the summer window, transfer insider Dean Jones revealed to GIVEMESPORT.

Ward-Prowse is currently contracted to recently relegated Southampton, but the expectation is he’ll leave the south coast club before the window shuts.

West Ham United transfer news – James Ward-Prowse
Having finished a whopping 21 points off the European positions in the Premier League, it had looked as if West Ham would be forced to endure their first campaign without continental football since 2021.

That was of course until Jarrod Bowen popped up late into the game against Fiorentina to secure West Ham’s first piece of silverware this century and fast-track them into the Europa League.

The Europa Conference League triumph not only ended the Hammers’ trophy drought, but it has also opened up new possibilities in the transfer market, which wouldn’t have been available without European football on offer.

Perhaps one of those players could be Ward-Prowse, who is tipped to be on the move this summer, with West Ham rumoured to be a side showing an interest

It’s claimed by The Evening Standard, that West Ham boss David Moyes is a keen admirer of Ward-Prowse and would be open to signing the English midfielder, should the finances match up on their end.

What has Dean Jones said about Ward-Prowse to West Ham?
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones said: “I do think they’ll make a bid for Ward-Prowse and I’ll be surprised actually, if they don’t, they definitely like him.

“The problem with West Ham is that they go after so many players at the same time, it’s quite hard to keep tabs on which deal is progressing best.

“But this is a tactic that they’ve used for a long time, where they’ll speak to three or four targets and see which one leads forward in the way that’s going to suit them best.”

How much might Ward-Prowse cost West Ham this summer?
Unsurprisingly, West Ham aren’t the only side in the mix for Ward-Prowse, with Liverpool just one of many clubs to have shown an interest so far.

However, as per a report by Mail Online, it’s believed the Reds are cooling their interest, for now, having discovered how much Ward-Prowse might set them back.

The publication suggests Southampton have slapped a £50 million price tag on their captain’s head – hefty money for a side set to compete in the second tier next season.

While they will have riches to spend if Declan Rice leaves the London Stadium, it’s unlikely Moyes and Co. will justify splashing the majority of their budget on Ward-Prowse.