West Ham United are expected to wrap up the signing of Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral before tonight’s transfer deadline.
That’s according to The Daily Star (12:05), who claim that Kral is expected to make his move to the London Stadium in the coming hours.
That doesn’t mean Declan Rice is leaving, with West Ham need to add more bodies in midfield rather than replace their star man.
Kral is a ‘close friend’ of West Ham star Tomas Soucek, with the duo regular Czech Republic internationals alongside Vladimir Coufal.
West Ham are negotiating a loan deal with an option to buy Kral in 2022, which makes sense for David Moyes’ side.
The Hammers have splashed the cash on Kurt Zouma and Nikola Vlasic, so a loan deal with a possible permanent move down the line is budget-friendly.
Sport Express in Russia had reported that West Ham’s first loan bid had been rejected, as the terms to activate a permanent deal were considered unrealistic.
It now looks like West Ham have come back in with a better offer and Spartak are willing to sanction the deal after all.
Moyes has publicly praised Kral, picking him out as one to watch at Euro 2020 whilst comparing him to Tomas Soucek and praising him for his energy and mentality.
It’s therefore no surprise to see West Ham making their move for Kral, and it looks like there will be another Czech mate arriving at the London Stadium.
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