The Hammers could be about to lose two central midfielders, so is now the time to go out all for Stefano Sturaro?
West Ham could be set to lose two central midfield players over the next couple of weeks, with Sky Sports reporting that Crystal Palace are in talks with Cheikhou Kouyate, and the Daily Mail claiming Pedro Obiang wants a return to Italy with former club Sampdoria interested.
The Hammers have been extremely busy this summer bringing in new players, with no less than seven new names arriving at the London Stadium.
But attentions could be about to switch to possible outgoings, with Kouyate and Obiang both being reported as potential departures.
The Irons have recently been linked with a move for Juventus star Stefano Sturaro, who is not a regular starter at the Allianz Stadium, and now should be the time that the club try and get ahead in the race for his signature.
The player’s agent Carlo Volpi told JuveNews that the Hammers and Leicester City have both made ‘big’ offers for the 25-year-old, who has made 90 appearances in total for the Old Lady since moving there from Genoa in 2014.
It will be important now for West Ham to make sure they are not beaten to this deal by another team, with time fast running out until the end of the window.
It would be a major blow if both Kouyate and Obiang were sold, and they then lost out on a deal to sign Sturaro, who would bring a number of attributes to the side including versatility, good short passing and decent ball-winning ability.
It’s crucial for the Hammers to make Sturaro an offer he cannot refuse – there’s a good chance he’ll want to join, especially with the ambition the club have shown so far with their new recruits and manager.
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