Two Premier League clubs, West Ham United and the Saints, both reportedly want River Plate’s Argentina international Gonzalo Montiel.
West Ham United are not giving up hope to luring Argentina international Gonzalo Montiel to the London Stadium, according to El Intransigente, despite their January bid going down very badly at River Plate.
Marcelo Gallardo simply couldn’t contain himself when he heard, about three weeks ago, that the Hammers had made what he viewed as an insulting offer for his rampaging right-back.
According to AS, West Ham offered to sign Montiel on loan with the option to make his deal permanent for £9 million in the summer. Considering that the twice-capped defender had a £17 million release clause in his contract, however, a low-ball bid was never likely to have River Plate rushing to sell one of their prized assets.
“If you come with a loan offer to sign a valuable player of ours, I say ‘thank you, but no’,” a less-than-impressed Gallardo told Infobae.
“It is not what we want. It would be ridiculous if we agreed to start a conversation with a proposal like that.”
With Pablo Zabaleta entering his final few months as a Premier League player, West Ham’s need for a new right-back is bordering on desperation. That, according to reports, will see them try again for Montiel in the summer.
Yet they will face competition this time around. Southampton are allegedly interested too, with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side perhaps viewing the 2018 Copa Libertadores winner as a long-term replacement for the soon-to-be free-agent Cedric Soares.
Southampton signed Kyle Walker-Peters from Tottenham on a temporary basis last month but, according to the News and Star, this short-term deal does not include an option-to-buy clause.
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