Eintracht Frankfurt have confirmed that West Ham and Tottenham target Filip Kostic will play no part in the UEFA Super Cup clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday evening.
The news comes after West Ham submitted a £13m bid for the Serbia international, a player who Antonio Conte is also said to want at Tottenham.
Now, however, the Premier League duo look likely to lose out to Juventus.
What’s the story?
Well, as backed up by Fabrizio Romano, Kostic has been left out of the UEFA Super Cup squad as he closes in on a move to Juventus.
Markus Krösche – Director of Football at Eintracht Frankfurt – said: “We have decided – also at the request of the possible new club – to play the match against Real Madrid without Filip.”
The Italian giants have already snapped up Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria on free transfers this summer, and they are now set to take advantage of the 29-year-old going into his final 12 months with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Juventus are said to have agreed a deal worth €18m (£15m) with the Europa League winners.
Kostic’s big move to Turin comes after he scored seven goals in 42 appearances last season, while also providing 15 assists – his efforts saw him named as the Europa League Player of the Tournament.
Interestingly, the Serbian was actually offered more money by West Ham, although it seems he has been swayed by the Champions League football on offer at Juventus.
West Ham & Tottenham miss out on a bargain
In our view, David Moyes and Antonio Conte have missed out on a bargain.
Kostic has been one of the most consistent players in Europe over the past few years, and even finds himself amongst some of the most creative players on the planet.
Since August 2018, the Eintracht Frankfurt No.10 has equalled Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jadon Sancho for assists, with only Thomas Müller and Lionel Messi outdoing his 44 setups.
By the sounds of it, West Ham and Tottenham are about to miss out on a gem.
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