West Ham United supporters are at that stage now where they are awaiting the first hint of white smoke. Nayef Aguerd will be a Hammers player next season. The only question now, it seems, is when – not if – the transfer will be completed.
“It is true that there are advanced discussions concerning Nayef, that he expressed the desire to live another adventure,” Rennes coach Bruno Genesio said late last week. “In these moments, it is always difficult to retain a player.
“There is a good chance that Nayef will no longer be at Rennes next year.”
According to The Standard, the muscle-bound Moroccan could be unveiled this week. Aguerd has flown to England and will now undergo a medical before completing a deal that should set the Europa League semi-finalists back an initial fee of around £20 million.
West Ham to land Nayef Aguerd
You can bet your bottom dollar that both Everton and Newcastle United will be watching the developments closely. Because, with West Ham’s pursuit of a new centre-half coming to an end, a pair of Premier League rivals should have a much clearer path ahead of them as they look to bring in defensive reinforcements of their own.
West Ham, after all, reportedly shared Everton’s interest in the likes of James Tarkowski and Moussa Niakhate. And with David Moyes and co turning their attention to Aguerd, there is nothing to stop Everton completing the signing of the Burnley talisman on a free transfer. No obstacles in their path. Niakhate, Mainz’s penalty-taking skipper who dreams of a move to English football, could join Tarkowski at Goodison Park for just £8 million, forging a new and vastly-improved defensive partnership on the blue side of Stanley Park (The Telegraph).
A fair few of Newcastle’s central defensive targets were also on West Ham’s radar too. And that is not merely limited to Sven Botman either. Dan-Axel Zagadou, formerly of PSG and Borussia Dortmund, recently became a free-agent and would represent a low-cost, low-risk addition. Benoit Badiashile is another option, one Newcastle may reconsider as Botman sets his heart on AC Milan.
Nayef Aguerd’s impending £20 million arrival will not merely bring an end to West Ham’s centre-back search. It could also pave the way for Everton and Newcastle to make some much-needed reinforcements of their own.
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