West Ham United are set to sign midfielder Tomas Soucek.
According to The Guardian, West Ham United’s deal for Slavia Prague midfielder Tomas Soucek will actually be a loan – and a permanent move may depend on survival.
It’s claimed that Soucek is set to join the club in a deal that could total €20million (£17million), but fans maybe weren’t expecting that to be a loan.
This new report suggests that West Ham will actually be paying €4million (£3.5million) to take Soucek on loan until the end of the season, then pay the rest of the €16million (£13.5million) in the summer.
However, that may be dependent on West Ham staying in the Premier League, as such a big outlay wouldn’t be feasible if relegated.
Soucek, 24, does appear to tick all of the boxes for West Ham. Just on the face of it, his record of 12 goals this season and 18 last term point to a midfielder who can really contribute going forward, which isn’t exactly what Mark Noble and Declan Rice are known for in the West Ham engine room.
He’s a commanding presence at 6ft 4in tall, he’s got a fantastic engine on him, he can get up and down the pitch, he can protect the back four if deployed there and has shown his effectiveness going forward.
With experience on the international stage and in the Champions League, Soucek has great pedigree, and he even has potential to get even better once he adjusts to life in the Premier League given that he is just 24.
This appears to be a great signing for West Ham, but the loan-to-buy does potentially leave them open to losing him in the summer, which isn’t quite what fans had in mind.
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