Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has given former club West Ham hope of signing one of his stars in an ‘easy and simple’ situation as the fee is set after a ‘gentleman’s agreement’.
West Ham have been given what is possibly their best news of the summer transfer window yet by Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
The Italian used to be assistant manager at the London Stadium under Manuel Pellegrini and remains close friends with Hammers sporting director Mark Noble.
After leading the Blues into the Champions League, Maresca is operating on an entirely different plain to his old club in the transfer market.
But that’s not necessarily bad news for West Ham.
Graham Potter has it all to prove next season in east London after taking the Hammers hotseat in January, 20 months on from his sacking by Chelsea.
Chelsea’s never-ending spending could finally benefit Potter
Stamford Bridge chewed Potter up and spat him out as the ownership filled his Chelsea squad with young stars from across the world.
Potter couldn’t live with the glare and expectation that chaotic situation brought.
He has the opposite problem at West Ham – where there is no money to spend until sales are made due to PSR.
As a result, the window business of both clubs could be intrinsically linked.
West Ham held talks with Chelsea over a host of players earlier this month.
Mohammed Kudus was offered up to Maresca as a potential signing.
Chelsea are still mulling whether to sign Kudus from the Hammers, who are banking on the money to make their own signings.
Chelsea also discussed a number of their players with West Ham during the Kudus talks with a view to a possible swap plus cash deal or, in some cases, a straight sale.
It is one player who wasn’t directly talked about that has since emerged as a player the Hammers are seriously interested in – Djorde Petrovic.
Now Chelsea boss Maresca has given West Ham hope of signing the star in an ‘easy and simple’ situation as a fee is set and ‘gentleman’s agreement’ made.
Potter showed a ruthless streak few thought he had after his spell at Stamford Bridge by releasing veteran Hammers goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Maresca gives West Ham hope of signing star in ‘easy and simple’ situation
That means West Ham are now on the hunt for a new stopper – and possibly two with Alphonse Areola’s future also up in the air.
Initially the Hammers and Chelsea talked about a potential deal for Robert Sanchez, who Potter managed at Brighton.
That came amid rumours Maresca was going to sell Sanchez or Petrovic.
It was expected Chelsea would want to hang on to 25-year-old Petrovic after he was voted player of the year on loan at their sister club Strasbourg.
Since then, though, it has emerged Chelsea are backing Sanchez after a strong end to the season and will be selling Hammers target Petrovic instead.
Fee set for Hammers target Petrovic and ‘gentleman’s agreement’ made
The Serbian asked to be left out of Chelsea’s Club World Cup squad so he can focus on sorting out a permanent move to a club where he will be number one.
Now the Hammers have been handed an open goal to get a deal done.
Firstly, when facing the media over in the US, Maresca stated the Chelsea goalkeeper situation is ‘quite easy and simple’.
“Robert (Sanchez) is the number one, then Filip (Jorgensen, number two),” Maresca said, as reported by Football Italia.
“(Mike) Penders joined us. We’re going to see in the next weeks. We’ll have time to analyse and judge him and then take a final decision.”
West Ham will notice no mention of Petrovic, proving he is definitely on his way out.
Now in a further development, Chelsea have set a £25m fee to get a deal done.
And The Athletic claim there is even a gentleman’s agreement between the club and the player that he will be sold if a club meets that asking price while giving assurances he will be handed a starting role.
Money is the big issue for West Ham.
They are hoping to sell Nayef Aguerd soon.
But a leading journalist revealed Chelsea are still interested in signing Kudus from West Ham – so that might come into play in a deal for Petrovic.
If West Ham take £25m off the Kudus fee to offset a deal for Petrovic, they would get a new number one for years to come and around £40m in cash for other signings.
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