West Ham United have made a new move for Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral ahead of tonight’s transfer deadline – but they have been sent packing.
That’s according to Sport Express in Russia, who claim that West Ham asked to take Kral on loan for the rest of the season before tonight’s transfer deadline.
The deal included a purchase clause, which would only be activated if the player ‘met a number of conditions’ – most likely the number of games player.
Spartak have rejected the bid, claiming that the conditions Kral must meet are ‘too high’, and the move is therefore too much of a risk.
They don’t want to lose Kral for the season without having guaranteed cash coming in, and West Ham’s current bid doesn’t offer them that protection.
If West Ham want Kral to join his Czech Republic international teammates Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal, they will have to come up with a better offer today.
Speaking of Soucek, West Ham boss David Moyes intriguingly picked out Kral as one of the players to watch at Euro 2020, comparing him to Soucek in terms of his stature whilst hailing his ‘great mentality’ and for having ‘bags of energy’.
With Mark Noble understandably slowing down a little at the age of 34, West Ham may need more legs in midfield, and the relentless Kral provides that.
Kral is hard-working and tenacious, willing to sit in front of the back four or work from box to box – exactly the kind of depth West Ham need in midfield.
West Ham fans have loved the Czech influx so far with Soucek and Coufal; let’s see if the Hammers can make three the magic number today.
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