West Ham United are hoping that their asking price will put the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Arsenal off making a move for Manuel Lanzini.
West Ham United’s Manuel Lanzini is attracting plenty of attention
A report in the Daily Mirror has suggested that West Ham have tried to deflect attention from their talisman Manuel Lanzini by setting an eye-watering asking price for the 24-year-old as Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool all look to bag his signature.
Lanzini has enjoyed an excellent time since arriving on loan in the Premier League in 2015, doing enough in his first year with the Hammers to earn a permanent move.
In the wake of Dimitri Payet’s departure, the Argentinian has arguably established himself as the Irons’ talisman, with eight goals and two assists coming in the top flight this term.
Unfortunately for West Ham, that form has not gone unnoticed with the Mirror reporting that three of the Premier League’s heavyweights are all considering a move, with Tottenham and Arsenal both making contact regarding the player’s availability.
Lanzini has scored eight times in the league this term, including the winner over Tottenham recently
Meanwhile, the Mirror adds Liverpool are also considering targeting Lanzini – having previously tried to bring him to Anfield – as they prepare to potentially lose Philippe Coutinho in the summer.
But in an attempt to steer their divisional rivals away from making a move for the former River Plate man, West Ham have slapped an asking price upwards of £30 million on him, the Mirror reports.
Given how influential Lanzini has been this year – his form has arguably made Payet’s January exit much easier to cope with – it is not a surprise that the Irons are ready to dig their heels in and demand big money for the playmaker.
West Ham will demand more than £30 million for the playmaker
Keeping him at the London Stadium will surely go a long way to convincing Slaven Bilic’s summer targets that West Ham can go in the right direction after a fairly underwhelming campaign.
But with Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal all looking to challenge for the title, West Ham may be wise to show some ambition in the transfer market to ensure that any bids that come in do not look too tempting to the attacking midfielder.
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