West Ham United is on a mission to bolster their attacking lineup, with the pursuit of Youssef En-Nesyri and Yuri Alberto taking center stage. In a recent update shared with GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Dean Jones sheds light on which of these potential deals is more likely to materialize.
Amidst a bustling summer transfer window, David Moyes and his team at West Ham are racing against time to finalize multiple deals. After already splurging over £100 million, the Europa Conference League champions are striving to secure two vital attacking acquisitions: En-Nesyri and Alberto are the players currently on their radar.
Reports from The Evening Standard suggest that West Ham is nearing the completion of a deal for Yuri Alberto. Technical director Tim Steitden’s visit to Brazil is aimed at finalizing the transfer of the promising Brazilian player. However, negotiations have encountered complexities due to the involvement of various intermediaries, potentially posing a threat to the deal’s conclusion.
Meanwhile, West Ham’s interest in Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri is also well-known. En-Nesyri would offer valuable competition in the striker position, complementing the existing talent of Michail Antonio. Notably, Moyes seems to be dissatisfied with the current depth of striking options, with only Danny Ings and Davin Mubama providing support for Antonio in the squad.
With the transfer window drawing to a close, the likelihood of signing only one of the proposed strikers is increasingly apparent. Dean Jones, a reputable transfer insider, shared insights on West Ham’s situation: “I’ve seen the links with Alberto and En-Nesyri and from checking out those I think it seems pretty clear that West Ham are indeed looking at bringing one in. Sevilla won’t be easy to convince around this one and also I am told the player has some reservations around it, so I can’t say I am overly expectant of it happening, but he’s a great player and rotating with Antonio, I can see that being a really good place for this team to be in. I don’t know much about Alberto as a player but the deal seems more likely at this stage. It’s also more advanced.”
Jones further added, “Full-backs are on the agenda too, I don’t doubt that and they are targeting loads of players right now. There is a lot being reported around more South American targets, which is a market we know for some time that they have had an interest in, but it’s hard to tell just how much potential there is for someone from there to be coming straight into the Premier League as a potential starter.”
In addition to the striker pursuit, West Ham is actively seeking a fullback addition. Ian Maatsen, associated with Chelsea and recently on loan at Burnley, has emerged as a potential candidate. The Hammers are aiming to convince Maatsen to make the switch from west to east London this summer as they continue to build a competitive squad.