West Ham United wanted Jan Bednarek but David Moyes has decided to pull a U-turn, with the defender now heading for Aston Villa instead.
The Hammers have already added two centre backs this summer by landing Nayef Aguerd and Thilo Kehrer.
West Ham also have Kurt Zouma in their defensive ranks, with the Frenchman arriving for a considerable fee a year ago.
Yet with Craig Dawson attracting real interest from Premier League rivals, Moyes wanted another centre back before the deadline.
West Ham United wanted Jan Bednarek
The top target appeared to be Southampton ace Bednarek.
The Athletic reported late on Wednesday night that West Ham were set to beat Aston Villa in the race to sign Bednarek.
Southampton are bringing in Duje Caleta-Car at centre back so Bednarek was freed up for an exit, with West Ham looking to take him in so Dawson could leave.
Instead, The Athletic claim that Bednarek is heading to Aston Villa after all and will help Steven Gerrard replace the injured Diego Carlos.
TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook now reports that Moyes had a change of heart and decided not to sign Bednarek.
Crook added that Moyes now thinks that signing a right back is more important than a centre back, and that West Ham have now scrapped Dawson’s potential move to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
This situation was always going to be a game of musical chairs and it just goes to show how one deal falling through can leave somebody left standing.
Wolves are that team, as they allowed Willy Boly to join Nottingham Forest whilst hoping to add Dawson as his replacement.
Dawson will now be staying at West Ham and 26-year-old Bednarek will head to Villa, completing a turn of events that few would have predicted this morning.
Moyes must now look to get a right back over the line, with Torino’s Ola Aina believed to be a top target.
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