On deadline day, just before 5 p.m., Hammers News spoke to our top insider source at West Ham, who informed us that any arrivals were “unlikely” given the club’s rumoured interest in a striker and a left-back.
And so it turned out, as the deadline passed without the Hammers adding to their already superb four summer acquisitions.
Ekitike had been under pressure from PSG to sign with Eintracht Frankfurt in order to aid their quest to lure Randal Kolo Muani away from West Ham’s German rivals.
In the end, PSG was able to close a transaction for plain cash. And it appears that West Ham decided to try again for Ekitike as a result.
Because West Ham missed the deadline but still made a last-ditch bid for the star worth around £30 million, it was too late to negotiate a deal for Ekitike with PSG.
According to Santi Aouna of Foot Mercato, the Hammer restarted their efforts to sign the well-heeled Frenchman immediately before 9 o’clock.
Hammers want £4m loan with £26m option two hours before market close
West Ham are said to have offered a £4m loan with an option to buy £26m for Ekitike, a player the club attempted to sign in January 2022. But PSG declined the offer. offer and he has no room to negotiate with only two hours left to close the deal.”West Ham have reactivated the path to Hugo Ekitike in the last few hours,” Aouna said.
“The Hammers want to offer an interest rate loan of €5m (£4m) + a purchase option of €30m (£26m).
Whether West Ham will regret not signing a striker remains to be seen but Moyes has several options.
Whether West Ham regrets not signing a striker remains to be seen.
The club prepares for a season of more than 50 matches on land and at sea and only Michail Antonio, Danny Ings and young striker Divin Mubama are real attacking options.
Although Jarrd Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Jesse Lingard – expected to be joined – can all play as a plug-in or second striker.
That didn’t stop West Ham from reclaiming a brand new Premier League spot last night as Bowen and Kurt Zouma scored in a 2-1 win over Luton.
