West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna is reportedly blocking a swap deal involving Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic.
West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna
According to Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio, Inter Milan have proposed a swap deal involving Marcelo Brozovic and West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna – but the latter is refusing to make the move.
West Ham were hoping to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last season by bringing in Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez, but results so far have manager Slaven Bilic under pressure once again.
The Hammers have lost all three of their Premier League games so far this season, with some fans calling for Bilic to go after Saturday’s shambolic 3-0 defeat at Newcastle United.
The poor early season form may force Bilic to dip back into the transfer market, and reports in Italy suggest that West Ham have been offered a swap deal that may have been somewhat appealing to the West Ham boss.
Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Inter Milan have attempted to sign West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna by offering a swap deal involving midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, but the deal looks unlikely to go through before Thursday’s transfer deadline.
It’s claimed that Italian international Ogbonna wants to stay with West Ham, meaning Inter are now looking towards the likes of Eliaquim Mangala and Shkodran Mustafi as they desperately bid to bring a centre back to the San Siro.
Ogbonna has been fairly solid for West Ham since signing from Juventus in 2015, and whilst he has suffered injury problems, he will be hoping for a strong campaign this term to get into the Italy World Cup squad next summer, rather than risk sitting on the bench with Inter.
Bilic may well have been tempted by a deal for compatriot Brozovic though, as the Croatian midfielder would have brought versatility as well as quality on the ball, with Bilic no doubt well aware of what the former Dinamo Zagreb man can do.
The 24-year-old is surplus to requirements with Inter, and whilst a swap deal may have been appealing, Ogbonna’s refusal to move means that West Ham seemingly won’t be acquiring playmaker Brozovic before the transfer deadline.
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