Sampdoria may look to sell Morten Thorsby in the January transfer window after Premier League rivals West Ham United and Watford expressed an interest in the Denmark international, as reported by La Repubblica.
But has the ship already sailed, a fading dot on the horizon?
West Ham were linked with a move for Thorsby in June, via Calciomercato.
Two months later, however, Alex Kral was on his way to the London Stadium instead and, if the poodle-haired powerhouse can build on a confident performance in the Carabao Cup win at Manchester United, West Ham will surely grasp an opportunity to turn his season-long loan deal into a permanent transfer.
Watford, meanwhile, brought in the experienced, energetic Moussa Sissoko from Tottenham Hotspur.
And while the Hornets have endured a topsy-turvy return to the life in the big time, Juraj Kucka, Tom Cleverley and Peter Etebo have all done enough to suggest Watford have the midfield quality to go toe to toe with most in the division.
Then again, things change quicky in football.
If Watford find themselves in the relegation zone come January, Thorsby may come back into contention.
West Ham, meanwhile, will lose Mark Noble next summer, Declan Rice is guaranteed to attract interest and, who knows, perhaps that assertive performance at Old Trafford will be little more than a flash in Alex Kral’s pan?
Will Morten Thorsby still move to West Ham or Watford?
According to La Repubblica, Thorsby will become a free agent in 2023.
Sampdoria would rather cash in now while his value remains high than risk losing the former Heerenveen man for a fraction of his market value.
A deal for Thorsby wouldn’t break the bank either. Sampdoria wanted £5 million in the summer and that price could fall further by the time the sun turns to snow.
A rangy 6ft 2in enforcer, Thorsby is a midfielder in the Tomas Soucek mould. A case in point – he’s scored 12 of his last 18 goals with his head.
As if West Ham didn’t have enough goal threat at set pieces…
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