West Ham United are in talks over a deal for Barcelona defender Moussa Wague with Mundo Deportivo suggesting that he could move to the Premier League on loan with an option to buy for £14 million.
There is absolutely no shame in failing to make the grade at the Camp Nou.
Just ask Yaya Toure, Alexis Sanchez and Adama Traore.
And while Wague has made just four La Liga appearances in two years as a Barca player, the fact that he has ever been deemed good enough for a club with such lofty standards offers an indication as to why West Ham are so keen on the speedy Senegal international.
The Hammers tried and failed to sign Wague in the winter, only for work permit problems to scupper the deal (The Guardian, January 31, 4.42pm).
Six months on, however, it seems that David Moyes will finally get his man.
Mundo Deportivo reports that negotiations between West Ham and Barcelona are underway.
Wague could move to the London Stadium on an initial loan deal but, for what it’s worth, the Catalan Kings would prefer to sell one of their subjects immediately.
After all, it is no secret that Barca are absolutely desperate to sell a whole host of fringe players this summer to finance a deal for Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez.
In truth, West Ham fans won’t care a jot about how a deal for Wague is agreed – just as long as it is agreed.
Moyes is absolutely crying out for a new right-back, with Pablo Zabaleta expected to retire a matter of weeks after the capital club lost Jeremy Ngakia upon the expiration of his contract.
And Wague, with his searing pace and intelligent use of the ball in the final third, could be a long-term solution to a problem that has persisted for far too long.
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