West Ham United believe that contract rebel Jeremy Ngakia has had his head turned by a Premier League rival amid reported interest from Watford and Liverpool, according to The Sun (23 June, page 52).
It never rains but it pours for the Hammers.
And just when the relegation-threatened club thought that they had found the answer to their right-back problem right under their nose, the ‘fabulous‘ Ngakia could be about to walk away from the London Stadium for absolutely nothing.
A teenage academy graduate who David Moyes has leant heavily upon since the turn of the year is due to become a free-agent at the end of the season.
And, as reported by The Sun, he has rejected the chance to sign a new £7,500-a-week deal. This comes amid claims form the Mail that Ngakia, who only made his debut in January, wants closer to £20,000.
Watford have been linked, via The Guardian, while Liverpool could look to add Ngakia to a star-studded squad chock-full of dazzling young talent (ReadLiverpool).
The report also suggested that Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur could rub a handful of rock salt into West Ham’s wounds, with the 19-year-old tipped to swap the London giants for their bitter local rivals.
Given that Ngakia was included in the starting XI for Saturday’s defeat against Wolves despite all the uncertainty surrounding his future, it’s clear to see how highly Moyes regards a man who looked set to replace the retiring Pablo Zabaleta.
But with the Hammers set to go head-to-head with Tottenham on Tuesday night, will Ngakia see an intriguing derby clash as a chance to impress his future employers?
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