West Ham United are interested in signing Becir Omeragic this summer and have opened talks with FC Zurich over making the defender the sixth Swiss star to play for the Irons yet.
Omeragic has shot to prominence at the Stadion Letzigrund in the last few seasons and is now proving very sought-after. The 20-year-old featured in 27 Super League matches this term and started 26. But a meniscus injury brought his campaign to an early end in April.
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Zurich signed Omeragic from his boyhood club Servette in 2018 but had to wait until 2019 for the centre-half to establish himself. A fibula injury prevented the Geneva native from making his debut, yet he has since grown into an effective and imposing 6 ft 1 presence.
West Ham interested in Omeragic but face Serie A competition for Zurich star
Omeragic has offered a solid foundation with calm and assured performances in the Swiss top-flight in recent seasons. His displays have also highlighted the defender’s maturity for his age, on route to making 85 appearances across all competitions with Zurich to date.
Now, the four-cap senior Switzerland international is in high demand after helping win the Super League this term. TuttoMercatoWEB report Torino are interested in what Omeragic can offer in Serie A, but West Ham are also in open dialogue for the Zurich star’s transfer.
Torino are sounding out Omeragic as a potential replacement for Gleison Bremer among a raft of targets. Toro chiefs appreciate what the defender has achieved for his age and the room for improvement that is still possible. But further Italian top-flight teams are in talks.
Reports by Gazzetta dello Sport note Omeragic is the most sought-after Super League star this summer, with Lazio keen. Zurich will not block the centre-half – who can also feature at right-back – from leaving, either, providing a club submits an offer of €8-10m (£7-8.5m).
West Ham stepping up their interest and paying Zurich’s valuation could make Omeragic the sixth Swiss star to feature for the Hammers in the Premier League-era so far. So, how have the previous five Swiss stars to play in claret-and-blue fared whilst in east London?
West Ham would hope Omeragic is no Ajeti repeat amid interest in Zurich star
West Ham would hope Omeragic does not prove to be a repeat of Albian Ajeti, amid their interest in the Zurich star. The Irons raided the Swiss Super League for the striker in 2019, with former manager Manuel Pellegrini agreeing to pay FC Basel £8m for their 22-year-old.
But Ajeti proved to be a disaster at the London Stadium and joined Celtic only a year later for £4.5m. The Hammers happily took a substantial hit to move the 11-cap Swiss forward on after failing to score or provide an assist in any of his mere 12 games, starting in three.
Pellegrini had afforded Ajeti nine of his 12 appearances for a total of just 300 minutes in all competitions. David Moyes’ arrival at the helm would see the forward fall even further out of favour with three outings for 100 minutes, with 90 in the FA Cup at home to West Brom.
Edimilson Fernandes made England switch from Switzerland with the Hammers
Edimilson Fernandes made the move from Switzerland to England with West Ham in 2016. The Irons signed the midfielder from his boyhood side FC Sion for £5.5m, aged 20. But he only lasted three years on the Irons’ books, including one year out on loan with Fiorentina.
West Ham sent the Swiss to Serie A for the 2018/19 season after he failed to secure a key first-team presence. Fernandes enjoyed 48 appearances with the Irons in all competitions, including in 42 Premier League games. But he only started 23 games with 17 in the league.
Fernandes would ultimately move to Germany with FSV Mainz upon his return from Italy. Yet the 22-cap international would see West Ham make a marginal profit after leaving for £8m. A fee that has so far returned Die Nullfunfer 40 appearances before loans this term.
Spiegel failed to make West Ham debut after Grasshoppers exit in 2012
Raphael Spiegel left Grasshoppers for West Ham and his first move outside of Switzerland in 2012. Yet the former youth international would ultimately fail to make the grade in east London, and even failed to make a single first-team appearance before departing in 2017.
The Hammers provided the goalkeeper with chances to prove his worth with loan spells at Crawley Town and Carlisle United. But neither move proved sufficient to merit featuring in a senior fixture before joining Boavista, who axed him after a year having also not played.
West Ham launched Grasshoppers swoop for Daprela in 2009
West Ham launched a raid on Zurich outfit Grasshoppers to sign Fabio Daprela in 2009, in the path that Omeragic may now follow amid Moyes’ interest. But the Irons boss will hope the Zurich defender enjoys a more successful spell in east London than Daprela achieved.
The Swiss centre-half only lasted a year at Upton Park before moving to Italy with Brescia. Gianfranco Zola additionally only played Daprela in eight games across all competitions for 460 minutes. His 370 Premier League minutes in seven games came from just four starts.
Behrami first Swiss star to play for West Ham amid Omeragic interest
Valon Behrami became the first Swiss star to play for West Ham in the Premier League-era when he joined the Hammers from Lazio in 2008 for £5m, and enjoyed a career Omeragic would hope to replicate amid Moyes’ interest in potentially signing the Zurich defender.
No Swiss player has featured more often for the Hammers in the Premier League-era than Behrami managed up to 2011. He featured 63 times across all competitions before joining Fiorentina in the January market, whilst the Hammers would suffer relegation that season.
The 83-cap Swiss midfielder also scored five and created three goals over his time at Upton Park. He would later return to England at Watford from 2015 to 2017, after spells at Napoli and Hamburg. His career later included Udinese, Sion and Genoa before Brescia currently.
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