According to Fabrizio Romano, West Ham have submitted another bid to sign Hans Vanaken from Club Brugge.
What’s the story?
Well, the Belgium international is a long-term target for David Moyes – the Scot also tried to sign the Club Brugge No.20 in 2020, while making him West Ham’s No.1 target in 2021.
Romano believes the east Londoners have now submitted an improved offer worth €11m (£9.2m) plus add-ons for Vanaken – who Roberto Martinez called “special” – although that still isn’t enough to satisfy Club Brugge.
Interestingly, the reliable Italian journalist does not specify an asking price, instead saying that the Belgian giants will not let their captain leave for “anywhere near that offer” before the September 1st deadline.
It comes after West Ham saw a bid of £8m rejected by the Jupiler Pro League side.
In our view, an extra £1.2m was always unlikely to make Club Brugge budge.
Despite a couple of unsuccessful bids, Vanaken himself is actually keen on making the move to the London Stadium.
However, the 29-year-old doesn’t find himself in the best negotiating position, as he has a contract lasting until June 2025 in Belgium.
West Ham need help from Hans Vanaken
We can understand why West Ham are reluctant to break the bank to sign Vanaken.
Despite his unerringly consistent ability to score goals – he has hit double figures in every season since 2013, and outscored Michail Antonio’s tally of 13 last term with 15 goals to his name – the Belgian turns 30 tomorrow.
The Hammers are clearly wary of overpaying for a player who they are unlikely to be able to sell for a significant sum, so Moyes may need help from Vanaken in the form of a transfer request.
If there isn’t more of a push from the attacking midfielder’s side, his desired move to the Premier League could fail to materialise.
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