West Ham United are ‘not even close’ to agreeing personal terms with Arnaut Danjuma as they look to bring the £35 million-rated Villarreal forward back to the Premier League, as reported by Fabrizio Romano on Twitter.
It’s easy to forget just how disappointing Danjuma was during his one and only campaign in the top-flight of English football. He started just six games – providing no goals and no assists – as Bournemouth suffered relegation under Eddie Howe in 2019/20.
But it’s fair to say Danjuma has certainly made up for lost time since then. The Dutch international belatedly justified his £14 million transfer fee as he fired Bournemouth into the Championship play-offs, before helping inspire Villarreal to within touching distance of the Champions League final during a terrific debut campaign on Spanish soil.
And with Said Benrahma and Nikola Vlasic struggling to nail down a regular place on the left-hand side of David Moyes’ three-man frontline, reports suggesting that talks are underway regarding a potential switch to West Ham for Danjuma have captured the imagination in East London.
Will West Ham land Villarreal’s Arnaut Danjuma
But, as Romano points out, there is still a long way to go, even if Villarreal’s £35 million asking price is unlikely to prove too much of an obstacle.
“Personal terms are the real issue for the Danjuma deal,” Romano explains. “West Ham have been in talks with Villarreal for weeks on 40 million euro fee. But (they are) still not even close to agreeing with Danjuma on personal terms or a contract.
“West Ham want Danjuma but only on their conditions, so it’s not easy. (The deal is) not off but really complicated on player side.
“Danjuma’s camp remain ‘relaxed’. The player would be happy to continue at Villarreal next year if no agreement can be found. West Ham were ready to pay 40 million euros but are far away on personal terms. Moyes is focused on top target (Armando) Broja and (Jesse) Lingard.”
Danjuma scored 16 goals in 34 games for Villarreal. That includes a hat-trick against Granada plus crucial Champions League strikes against Atalanta, Juventus and Bayern Munich.
The 25-year-old’s ability to play out wide or through the middle would come in very handy at West Ham too. Especially given that David Moyes is not exactly overloaded with top-quality options on the left or at number nine.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
