£15m West Ham target out of club’s pre-season squad, exit looks inevitable

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Justin Kluivert will not travel with the Roma squad for their pre-season trip to Portugal as West Ham United look to bring the former Ajax starlet to the Premier League, as reported by Roma Press. 

It’s never easy being the son of a legendary footballer. Jordi Cryuff, Enzo Zidane and Devante Cole, to name but three, would probably agree with that statement.

But, for a while at least, Kluivert Jr appeared to be casting off the shackles of those unhelpful but inevitable comparisons with his era-defining father. He was a revelation at Patrick’s former employers Ajax, fighting off competition from the likes of Gigi Donnarumma while claiming Goal.com’s Next Gen award back in 2019. 

Since those heady days, Kluivert’s once-promising career has stalled somewhat. A £15 million move to Serie A hasn’t gone to plan. Neither did a short-lived stint at RB Leipzig. And though the Dutch international did show some signs of resurgence on loan at Nice last term, Kluivert remains on the outside looking in at the Stadio Olimpico. 

He is not part of the Roma squad travelling to Portugal as Jose Mourinho and co ramp up the club’s pre-season preparations. 

Could West Ham take Justin Kluivert away from Roma?

West Ham could come to his rescue however, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The Giallorossi won’t to stand in Kluivert’s way if The Hammers firm up their interest over the coming weeks. 

At just 23, one of the most talented youngsters to emerge from Ajax’s famous academy over the last decade has plenty of time on his side. And it’s easy to forget just how remarkable he looked when exploding onto the first-team stage as a teenager at the Johan Cruyff Arena, embracing comparisons with Neymar and a young Cristiano Ronaldo. 

“I look up to Cristiano Ronaldo,” Kluivert told FourFourTwo at the time. “Not just because of his qualities, which are obvious, but also the way he lives and eats and how hard he trains. He is really an example for me. 

“Barcelona is my dream club. Within seven years, I would like to be at Barcelona. Before that I would like to play in England as well. I really like that competition (the Premier League).”