West Ham United reportedly wanted to sign Tom Cairney during the January transfer window.
It was reported by The Sun (5/1; page 63) during the January transfer window that West Ham were plotting a fresh bid for Tom Cairney after failing to land the Fulham talisman with two bids in the past.
The report suggested that the Irons had seen two offers rejected during David Moyes’s tenure, with the latter bid worth £18 million. Obviously, their January interest also led to no success, with the Cottagers reportedly demanding £25 million for the 28-year-old.
Cairney has not enjoyed the best season. He is yet to score a goal and has only provided one assist in the Premier League despite helping inspire Fulham’s promotion bid last term and scoring the goal that secured their play-off final win.
So some Hammers fans may have been pleased that Manuel Pellegrini did not push for the club to meet Fulham’s asking price. But after his most recent performance, perhaps West Ham should keep the attacking midfielder on their radar heading into the summer.
Barring a stunning run of form under former Irons hero Scott Parker, Fulham will be back in the Championship next season, and it would be no surprise if a number of their players move on.
Cairney may well be one of them to leave. He showed against Chelsea at the weekend just how good he can be when deployed in his best position – something Claudio Ranieri seemed incredibly reluctant to do during his brief tenure.
Cairney caused Chelsea plenty of problems as Fulham put up a brave fight against Maurizio Sarri’s men. It was a reminder of how influential he can be when the team play to his strengths.
And with Fulham’s potential relegation likely to see his asking price drop, West Ham could really end up benefiting from playing the long game should they decide to make a fresh move for the Scotland international in the summer.
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