West Ham are closing on a deal to finally sign Adama Traore from Fulham but the club are also making room in the squad for at least one more signing too.
Rapid winger Adama Traore is finally on his way to West Ham after Fulham relented on a deal.
Nuno Espirito Santo had been in the job for just three days when Hammers News exclusively revealed West Ham planned to sign Traore in January.
The move had been expected to go through at the start of the window given Traore’s lack of game time with the Cottagers and the fact he is out of contract in the summer.
Traore was expected to leave Fulham for West Ham for a nominal fee on an initial six-month deal with the option for a further two years.
The Hammers were pushing to get the Traore deal done before that shocking season-low defeat at Nuno’s old club Wolves.
Nuno finally gets his man with West Ham’s Traore deal close
But negotiations stalled and West Ham were not happy with Fulham moving the goalposts.
A deal was all agreed but Fulham saw a chance to try and take advantage of the Hammers’ desperation by asking for an inflated £7m transfer fee despite the winger only having six months remaining on his contract at Craven Cottage.
Adama Traore has a dismal minutes-to-goal record in the Premier League 😲
West Ham are sleepwalking towards relegation with this transfer…
That was over three times the amount of the original agreement with Fulham also insisting West Ham could not have Traore until their three Nigerian stars were back from AFCON.
Now that trio has returned, things have changed.
The Traore deal is now close and West Ham are also making room for at least one more signing.
Nuno desperately wanted to sign Traore at Forest in the summer.
But sporting director Edu and Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis refused and it was one of the key reasons behind their falling out.
That eventually led to Nuno’s dismissal and subsequent arrival at West Ham.
Now Nuno is finally set to get his man as the Irons close on an agreement with Fulham for a fee closer to the original deal at around £2m.
Hammers News has been told that West Ham expect to have the deal done soon with Traore then available to face London rivals Chelsea next weekend.
Traore won’t be the last signing of the window after the arrivals of Taty Castellanos, Pablo Felipe and Keiber Lamadrid, though.
West Ham make room for at least one more signing
Guido Rodriguez, who is out of contract in the summer, is being released to join Valencia on a free transfer.
The Argentine has failed to establish himself in the side under Julen Lopetegui, Graham Potter and Nuno.
Why would we keep an unhappy player 😂
What does this tell you about the decision making behind the scenes?!
But he has been a very positive influence in the dressing room and is a well-liked member of the squad who has been supportive of his teammates, even those playing ahead of him.
His frustrating spell is coming to an end with the likes of Fabrizio Romano giving the Rodriguez move his trademark ‘here we go’ signifying a done deal overnight.
Rodriguez and Paqueta out, defender in at West Ham?
Lucas Paqueta is still expected to depart with the final hurdle being how Flamengo pay the £38m fee that has been settled upon for the wantaway Brazilian.
With Rodriguez and Paqueta heading for the exit, Hammers News understands there will be at least one more arrival before the window closes.
The Hammers are actually well stocked in midfield so it is understood the club is prioritising a centre-back while a new goalkeeper could also arrive.
Both deals will likely be loans with options.
The move for Traore has divided some fans given he is known just as well for his erratic and inconsistent end product as he is his speed and power.
The latter makes him a perfect fit for Nuno’s preferred counter-attacking style.
While his end product is an undeniable issue, Traore’s raw power and pace means he has a unique ability to get his team up the pitch and relieve pressure as much as start attacks.
The 29-year-old has been linked with a move to east London in just about every transfer window for the last six or seven years but now he is finally on his way.
Traore actually enjoyed an excellent season with Fulham last term.
Nuno also got the best out of him during their time together at Wolves with many feeling Traore played some of the best football of his career at Molineux.
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