Club Brugge coach Carl Hoefkins can understand why Hans Vanaken wants to join Premier League outfit West Ham United but hopes to retain his ‘incredible’ Belgian international, speaking via Walfoot.
There was only ever likely to be one topic on the agenda at Hoefkins’ pre-match press conference this Friday afternoon. And, predictably, questions regarding the future of Hans Vanaken arrived like an avalanche.
The Guardian claim that, after seeing an opening bid of £8 million batted away, West Ham are making a new and improved offer for a player who rebuffed their advances in favour of a new contract back in 2020.
Vanaken, this time, is open to the idea of swapping Brugge for London. At 29, the two-time Belgian Footballer of the Year knows that this could be his last stab at securing Premier League football, with talks between all parties expected to continue over the weekend.
Will Hans Vanaken finally join West Ham United?
“Hans is an incredible player, who has already given a lot for the club,” says the former West Brom defender Hoefkens. “He also has a big influence on the way we play. As long as he is here, he will be in my team and on the pitch.
“Of course, I would understand that Hans would want to play in the Premier League. That’s normal. As a coach, I obviously want him to stay, but it would be logical for a player like him to have ambitions.
“Like I said, I still want to work with him. The rest is between him and the management.”
Flash forward two years, however, and a big-money move to the most high-profile league on the continent can only enhance his prospects of a key role in Roberto Martinez’s World Cup plans. It seems that confidence is growing, at least on West Ham’s side, that a deal will be done before September.
One of Europe’s most prolific attacking midfielders, Vanaken has hit double figures in each of the last 11 seasons. He’s also scored over 100 goals in 339 Club Brugge games.
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