Report: West Ham now facing increased competition for £50,000-a-week target keen on summer transfer

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Celta Vigo are assessing a move to sign West Ham United target Giovanni Simeone from Cagliari this summer, according to TuttoMercatoWEB.

The La Liga outfit have monitored Simeone’s situation for a number of weeks in view of raiding the Sardegna Arena. Os Celestes are keen to improve Eduardo Coudet’s attacking options after claiming an eight-place finish in La Liga last term.

But Celta Vigo would face competition from West Ham and Marseille in any attempt to sign Simeone. The Premier League and Ligue 1 outfits have also kept tabs on the Argentine since the end of the season.

Clubs in Italy have contacted Simeone to discuss his situation, too, but TuttoMercatoWEB previously noted he wants to go abroad. Among the Serie A sides challenging for his signature include Torino, Sampdoria and Bologna, while other Spanish sides also interested.

Simeone is keen to secure a summer transfer to test himself in a new country after five years in Italy. He has responded positively to interest from abroad, but Cagliari manager Leonardo Semplici is yet to inform the £50,000-per-week striker of his intentions.

West Ham have tried to test Cagliari’s resolve over Simeone, though. Calciomercato note Gli Isolani rejected a £850,000 loan bid that carried an option to buy in 2022. It was not enough to convince the Rossoblu to part with their centre-forward, who scored six-goal last season.

And David Moyes now faces increased competition from Celta Vigo for West Ham to sign Cagliari’s Simeone. The Serie A outfit are under no pressure to sell, either, with the five-cap attacker under contract until 2024.

Celta Vigo deal West Ham increased Simeone competition

What will come to West Ham’s relief is that Celta Vigo are yet to approach Cagliari to open discussions over a deal for Simeone. In that respect, Moyes is still ahead, but the La Liga side are approaching a stage where they could soon submit an offer.

The forward may be more receptive to a move to the Estadio de Balaidos outfit, as well. West Ham could struggle to offer Simeone the same assurances over his minutes that Celta Vigo can put forward.

Simeone scored fewer goals than West Ham’s joint top-scorer Michail Antonio provided, as he regressed from 12 to six. It was the second time in three seasons that the 25-year-old failed to achieve double figures in the Serie A.

Moyes would struggle to justify Simeone becoming West Ham’s first-choice over Antonio, who scored 10 in back-to-back Premier League campaigns. So, if Celta feel he is worthy of that role, the Irons could struggle against their heightened competition.