Dean Jones has told Give Me Sport that Shakhtar Donetsk attacker David Neres has been added to a long West Ham shortlist ahead of the summer. Neres only joined Shakhtar in January from Ajax for £13.5million (Ajax).
Neres, 25, is yet to make his debut for the Ukranian Premier League champions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The league has been suspended, 18 games into a 30-game campaign.
- READ MORE: Fulham’s XI if they kept their top stars
Players currently contracted to Russian or Ukranian clubs have been given a special allowance to leave their current side – no questions asked. Neres is yet to play for Shakhtar, allowing him to play for West Ham this season.
Whether West Ham will spend as much as the fee Shakhtar spent to sign him in January remains to be seen. But Jones confirms Neres is a target: “I know that Neres is on a long list that they’ve been drawing up.”
West Ham eye Neres: Do Hammers really need Brazil international?
Neres is a top player, on his day. But he has struggled this season, scoring just four goals in 22 games for Ajax. His move to Shakhtar gave him the chance to kickstart his career – but his career is in limbo, due to the war.
West Ham need depth. They are likely to qualify for the Europa League again – and while they are impressing in Europe, they lack the depth that allowed them to remain competitive in the race for the top four.
But out wide, they have Pablo Fornals, Andriy Yarmolenko, Manuel Lanzini, Said Benrahma, Nikola Vlasic and more. West Ham need players, but in other positions – a striker, a centre-back, a central midfielder.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
