Rennes’ determined to keep Nayef Aguerd in France was a deciding factor in West Ham United’s failed attempts to bring the defender to the Premier League, as reported by Ouest France.
Before luring Kurt Zouma away from London rivals Chelsea last summer, the Hammers came calling for a tough-tackling Morocco international who has come on leaps and bounds since joining Rennes from Dijon 2020.
According to reports, West Ham even submitted a bid in the region of £17 million. That would have seen Rennes earn a massive profit on a player who set them back around £4 million 12 months earlier.
But money is not everything.
And, with an ambitious Rennes side looking to force their way onto the Ligue 1 podium, the Brittany-based club moved heaven and earth to ensure that Aguerd stayed put.
Will West Ham return for Nayef Aguerd?
“I told myself I still had a year left to prove myself,” explains Aguerd.
“When you’re a player, you’re under contract, it’s the club that chooses (whether you stay or go). They didn’t want me to leave, even if I had offers.
“They chose to extend (my contract) by showing me that I was important to the club, in the dressing room. I signed directly and showed that I was part of the project.”
Aguerd signed a new four-year deal with Rennes recently. And, according to The Athletic, he used West Ham’s interest to ‘leverage’ improved terms from his current employers.
Given that Rennes are currently in the Champions League spots – and just one point behind second-place Marseille – West Ham’s loss has certainly been Bruno Genesio’s gain.
The Hammers will be in the market for another new centre-half over the summer, following Angelo Ogbonna’s injury problems and the uncertainty over Issa Diop’s future.
Konstantinos Mavropanos, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Benoit Badiashile have been linked.
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