For the second time in the space of 72 hours, reports suggesting that West Ham United may be about to sign an exciting young winger have been unceremoniously squashed.
Rumours linking Spurs starlet Mikey Moore to the London Stadium – as part of the deal which potentially takes Mateus Fernandes to the north of the capital – circulated on social media in midweek.
They didn’t last long.
How much do YOU think Fernandes will be sold for in the end?
There is ‘no truth’ to claims of West Ham interest in the former Rangers loanee, highly-respected Tottenham ‘ITK’ Szyexcl wrote on X.
Speaking of ‘ITK’s, West Ham United insider ExWhuEmployee has listed Abdul Fatawu as a more realistic potential signing for a club looking to build a Championship-winning squad.
Interest is one thing, though. Suggestions that a deal is about to be agreed, though, are another.
West Ham United are not close to signing Leicester City’s Abdul Fatawu
“Understand there is currently no agreement between Leicester City and West Ham United for Abdul Fatawu, despite reports elsewhere,” Leicester City source Josh Holland clarified on Friday.
“[The alleged] £14.6m fee doing the rounds is wide of the mark. His focus remains on Ghana’s final [World Cup] group game vs Croatia tomorrow.”
Clearly, speculation should be taken with a pinch of salt. If reports claiming that Leicester want closer to £20 million are indeed accurate, though, the galloping Ghanaian is still the sort of ‘market opportunity’ West Ham should be wary of letting slip through their grasp.
Fatawu was the shooting star in a gloomy East Midlands sky last season. Without his nine goals and eight Championship assists, Leicester’s second successive relegation would surely have been confirmed much earlier than the 44th matchday.
£20 million, of course, would be a hell of a fee for a footballer contracted to a League One club. Then again, West Ham have no leg to stand on here. Not as the Hammers hold firm on their £85 million Mateus Fernandes valuation.
But presuming their valuation will be met, bringing Fatawu to East London would be a potentially inspired use of those funds. If he can produce 17 goal contributions for a bottom-three outfit, imagine what Fatawu could achieve in a more settled environment and with better players around him in a team fighting for automatic promotion.
Fatawu is a ‘really special’ talent who would ease pressure on Jarrod Bowen
West Ham are a team short of pace in key areas. Fatawu has speed in abundance and, as comparisons with Arsenal star Bukayo Saka attest, is a fearsome proposition when cutting in onto his left foot from the right hand side.
If Jarrod Bowen leaves West Ham, who is your DREAM replacement?
Leicester's Abdul Fatawu is an interesting option… 🤔
“I’ve watched him a lot. The kid’s really special,” Leicester legend Gary Lineker said on the Rest is Football podcast before Fatawu took the second-tier by storm.
“He’ll beat people, he’s quick, he’ll take people on. He’ll cut inside and bend one in the top corner, he’ll go down the outside and cross the ball. He’s a little like [Bukayo] Saka.
“He’s got an incredible work ethic, got a lovely personality.”
Of course, Fatawu’s skillset and his favoured role on the right will see speculation about a certain armband-wearing forward rear their heads again. Hammers News can confirm that West Ham are ‘confident’ that Jarrod Bowen will stick around, however.
Fatawu, like another left-footed right-winger in Brighton’s Amario Cozier-Duberry, may have been identified not solely as a potential Bowen replacement. But instead someone who can ease the creative, goalscoring pressure on the long-serving skipper.
Signing Fatawu or Cozier-Duberry would also give Nuno the option of pushing Bowen into a centre-forward role should he feel the need to.
As sources close to Leicester are at pains to point out, there is no green light yet between Leicester, West Ham and Fatawu. We are not even at the amber light stage, in truth.
But if West Ham want a winger with a proven track record when it comes to scoring and assisting in the Championship – one young enough to grow and develop under Nuno Espirito Santo – Leicester’s latest relegation may be to the benefit of another club desperate to bounce back from a low point.
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