Agent says £18m ace won’t join West Ham, but may be Premier League-bound

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Gonzalo Montiel is set for a move to Europe this summer though his agent does not believe that West Ham United will be the Argentina international’s destination, speaking to Radio Del Plata in quotes translated by TYC.

Ever since The Hammers launched a loan-to-buy bid for Montiel during the January transfer window (one that was laughed off by a less-than-impressed River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo), barely a day has gone by without Montiel appearing in the gossip columns.

But there is more to this than idle paper talk.

Manuel Lanzini, West Ham’s Argentine playmaker, has already admitted that his employers have shown an interest in the 2018 Copa Libertadores winner.

And with Pablo Zabaleta set to retire this summer, it is no secret that the London giants are scouting the market for reinforcements on the right-hand side of their backline.

Speculation suggests that West Ham will make a new bid sooner rather than later but, according to Marcelo Carracedo, David Moyes and co should not hold their breath.

“I think it is time to go to Europe, Gonzalo is mature as a player and is well to make the jump. In any case, it depends on the situation, the markets and the economic situation of the clubs,” the agent explains.

“Gonzalo could play in the Premier League or the Bundesliga without problems. If I had to choose a league for him, I would choose one of the top three or four – there is no chance that he will go to a secondary league even if he is offered a lot of money.

“There are many concerns for Gonzalo and many clubs interested in him, although I do not think that an offer will come from West Ham.”

Carracedo suggests that the uncertainty surrounding the completion of the Premier League season, and West Ham’s growing relegation fears, will make a move to the London Stadium unlikely.

Clubs such as Roma, Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen have also been linked with an £18 million defender and they are all in a far more secure position than the Hammers right now.