Hans Vanaken is willing to consider a Premier League switch but Club Brugge would not sell their talismanic Belgium international to West Ham United even for £25 million, as reported by Het Laaste Nieuws.
The top clubs in Belgian football are used to losing star players on a yearly basis. But after selling star man Charles de Ketelaere to AC Milan, influential centre-back Stanley Nsoki, and a couple of other players who helped secure the Jupiler League title last season, Vanaken feels like one departure too many.
Especially with fellow veteran Ruud Vormer potentially heading out the door too. And that’s without mentioning the much-coveted Noa Lang.
According to Het Belang van Limburg, West Ham have had an opening bid of £9 million batted away without a second thought. Club Brugge, HLN add, would not even accept £25 million – twice the fee West Ham offered when they initially tried to sign Vanaken back in 2020.
Hans Vanaken is keen on West Ham United move
At the age of 29, and with time ticking away, the two-time Belgian Footballer of the Year is intrigued by the opportunity to play Premier League football at the peak of his powers. Vanaken, HLN say, is ‘prepared to listen’ to West Ham.
But if he is closing the door, then Club Brugge are slamming it shut again. Viewed as ‘indispensable’, he is simply too important and too influential to let go. What’s more, Vanaken is the clear favourite to take over the captain’s armband if Vormer departs.
“We were then in the time of corona and there was also Brexit,” Vanaken said a couple of weeks ago, explaining why he didn’t join David Moyes’ West Ham side two years ago. “Which made it not easy to go to London.
“Of course, my wife and I talked about it. We liked the city of London. When I first heard that West Ham was really concrete, Club Brugge had already refused two offers.
“Then they also offered me a new contract and I stayed.”
One of the most prolific goalscoring midfielders around, Vanaken has hit double figures in every single season since 2010/11. He’s scored over 100 goals in 332 Club Brugge games.
“I have never seen such a big player with such a technique,” former team-mate Onur Kaya told Sport/Voetbalmagazine in 2020.
“The special thing about Hans is that he has the footwork of a player of 1 metre 70. You can say that it is not nice to watch, that he is a bit slow, but he has an extraordinary intelligence. To be honest, I think he is stronger than a Dele Alli at Tottenham.”
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