West Ham United could move for Newcastle United pair Jonjo Shelvey or Isaac Hayden if they don’t sign Andre Gomes.
West Ham are desperately trying to sign Gomes from Barcelona, but face competition from Everton.
The Toffees have an advantage, as Gomes spent last season at Goodison Park, and West Ham know that they are underdogs in the chase.
As a result, West Ham have already drawn up a contingency place, with Newcastle’s central midfield duo on their radar.
However, if West Ham go from wanting Gomes to trying to land Hayden or Shelvey it will surely leave supporters at the London Stadium scratching their heads.
Gomes would be a wonderful signing for West Ham, and attempting to bid for him shows real ambition.
Hayden and Shelvey, on the other hand, are hardly signings that would really excite the London Stadium crowd.
The Newcastle pair are solid Premier League players, and would be credible additions to West Ham’s squad. But it is hard to see either of them as anything other than a downgrade on Gomes.
And West Ham fans would only be left questioning the club’s ambition again, if Gomes doesn’t arrive this summer, if Manuel Pellegrini’s back-up plan does come to fruition.
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