Club Brugge boss breaks silence as £25m Raphael Onyedika waits for West Ham transfer

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Club Brugge enforcer Raphael Onyedika is West Ham United’s number one midfield target during the remainder of the Premier League’s off-season.

Though whether the Hammers can get a deal done for the £25 million-rated Nigeria international remains to be seen.

The London Stadium outfit have not spent a single penny on transfer fees so far this summer. And while a club source recently played down suggestions that West Ham have to sell before they buy, getting the likes of Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez off the books, let alone Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus, feels highly necessary if they are to step up their interest in those at the top of the wishlist.

Hammers News understands that West Ham made contact with Aaron Ramsdale at Southampton a month ago. Since then, progress has remained elusive.

They were desperate to sign CJ Egan-Riley before the former Burnley defender joined Marseille. When it comes to centre-forwards, Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha is highly admired but appears bound for Chelsea.

Kyle Macaulay has put Raphael Onyedika at the top of their midfield targets, meanwhile.

Speaking out on the subject for the first time, the head coach of Belgian giants Club Brugge, Nicky Hayen, insists that he plans to count on Onyedika until the very last moment he is wearing the blue and black stripes.

Club Brugge coach Nicky Hayen reacts as West Ham United target Raphael Onyedika deal

According to reports, Raphael Onyedika could turn down AC Milan in favour of a move to the Premier League. His representatives have indicated that personal terms will not be an obstacle for West Ham either.

Now, Hayen is clearly not a man in the dark regarding the future of his prized assets. And, as the 2024 Belgian Coach of the Year knows all too well, things can develop very quickly in transfer season.

“There is a lot of interest in our players, and of course I know what’s going on,” Hayen, who coached Haverfordwest County in Wales just two years before winning the Belgian league title with Club Brugge, tells DAZN.

“There is good communication with management. But, you know, everything can change in five minutes.”

“I count on everyone as long as they are under contract with Club Brugge. The priority is to be physically top quickly. We have to be there right away.”

While Everton have joined West Ham in the race for Onyedika, Belgian reporter Sacha Tavolieri believes that those of a claret and blue persuasion remain in pole position heading into July.

Club Brugge teammate Ardon Jashari appears in no rush to join the Hammers – he wants to play in the Champions League, ideally, with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain linked alongside the aforementioned Milan – but Onyedika is reportedly more attracted by the lure of English football.

Graham Potter and Kyle Macaulay are big Onyedika fans

Hammers News understands that both Graham Potter and Kyle Macaulay are aligned on Onyedika, feeling that he will be key to helping instil a more coherent gameplan at the London Stadium. While arguably best known for his ball-winning talents, Onyedika is also a fine progresser from deep, perhaps in the mould of Potter’s former Brighton and Hove Albion favourite Moises Caicedo.

He scored against Manchester City in last season’s Champions League too with a fierce strike from the edge of the box.

“Onyedika has a very good first touch on the ball,“ write scouting site Total Football Analysis. “He is [also] one of the most critical progressors for his side and is very crucial for their transition from the first to the second phase, and the second to the third phase in possession.

“Onyedika has that security on the ball where he is very good at covering it and protecting it under pressure from the opponent. Due to his physicality, he has the ability to shield it with his strength. Due to this, it’s not easy for the opposition players to dispossess him.

“Overall, his ability on the ball in possession is very good and is one of the crucial aspects of Club Brugge’s tactics in possession. Since he is still young, he could probably iron out some of the inconsistencies he has in his game as he ages.”