At times this summer, it felt like the fates of both West Ham United and Fulham were almost intertwined.
Alphonse Areola found himself at the centre of a cross-capital tug-of-war in June, his old employers and his current ones holding both ends of the rope. Maxwel Cornet was reportedly a Fulham target before joining the Hammers instead. And Issa Diop, after weeks of drawn-out negotiations, is finally set to make the 14 mile trip from the London Stadium to Craven Cottage.
According to The Guardian, Fulham have agreed a £15 million deal for the French centre-back. Diop will become the club’s second new defender in a matter of days, joining Brighton loanee Shane Duffy in West London.
And, with three weeks of the window remaining, there could still be yet another transfer tale with Fulham and West Ham among the leading protagonists.
Juventus beat West Ham United to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Filip Kostic
According to Il Bianconero, an Italian publication experts in all things Juventus, West Ham are set to miss out on the signing of Filip Kostic after failing with a £15 million bid for Eintracht Frankfurt’s spring-heeled Serbia international.
Kostic, one of the most underrated footballers in all of Europe, has agreed to join the Serie A giants instead. Juve have not yet shaken hands with the Europa League champions on a transfer fee. But it is believed Kostic will be gone before Frankfurt take on Real Madrid in the Super Cup on Wednesday.
And the imminent arrival of Kostic, Il Bianconero say, should pave the way for Luca Pellegrini’s departure. And this is where Fulham come in.
Filip Kostic in, Luca Pellegrini out at the Allainz Stadium?
Marco Silva’s Cottagers could still bring in a new left-back, despite Antonee Robinson’s promising performance against Liverpool.
Fulham missed out on Ruben Vinagre and the Nottingham Forest-bound Alex Moreno. But Italy international Pellegrini now feels affordable and attainable in equal measure.
According to Sport Mediaset, Fulham are willing to pay £9 million for the former Roma man. Juventus want £10.5 million. A gap in valuations, yes, but an unbridgeable one. Juve could still accept a cut-price fee, too, as they look to raise funds for Paris Saint-Germain’s Leandro Paredes.
In a week in which Issa Diop should finally become a Fulham player, West Ham’s loss looks like Marco Silva’s gain as Kostic sets off a chain reaction potentially leading Pellegrini to Craven Cottage.
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