West Ham United had reportedly hoped to bring Rafael to the London Stadium this summer.
West Ham may be about to receive a transfer setback, with The Sun on Sunday (28/4; page 59) reporting that Rafael plans to sign a new deal and stay at Lyon next season.
Manuel Pellegrini had been looking to strengthen his right-back options. Pablo Zabaleta’s future continues to have a question mark hanging over it, while Ryan Fredericks has found consistency hard to come by during his first year at the London Stadium.
And one of the players that Pellegrini was considering was the former Manchester United man. However, The Sun on Sunday (28/4; page 59) reports that their sources close to the 28-year-old have suggested that he expects to sign a new contract with the Ligue 1 side.
If the Hammers do indeed miss out, it may be a disappointment given that he could have been available on a free transfer. But Fredericks’ latest performance suggests that it may not be too much of a blow for the Irons if Rafael stays put.
The summer signing grew into the 1-0 win against Tottenham, and ended up producing an outstanding display which included a couple of sensational challenges as West Ham became the first visiting team to score and take any points off Spurs at their new home.
If Fredericks can produce those kind of displays on a much more regular basis, he could easily establish himself as one of the key names on Pellegrini’s teamsheet next season and leave Rafael’s potential snub looking like a blessing in disguise.
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