A deal for Euro star Georges Mikautadze has been confirmed and now he could head straight to West Ham United.
For the avoidance of any doubt, Hammers technical director Tim Steidten has confirmed West Ham are on the hunt for a new striker.
Steidten was speaking to the press at the unveiling of new West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui.
It has been reported all summer that West Ham will be looking to bring in a new forward as part of a major rebuild.
But West Ham fans heard the same thing last summer after the club sold Gianluca Scamacca.
And in the end David Moyes said there was a dearth of quality strikers worldwide which led him to experiment with Jarrod Bowen up front.
That had mixed results. Now with young forward Divin Mubama walking out on the club, Lopetegui is left with Michail Antonio and Danny Ings as his only striker options.
Antonio and flop Ings will have a combined age of 67 next season.
So it is clear West Ham must address the situation by signing at least one bonafide striker.
A plethora have been linked.
Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri is said to be Lopetegui’s preferred target.
West Ham have ‘submitted official offer’ for Georgia star
But a host of others are in the mix too according to media reports.
One of those is a name who was also on Steidten’s list last summer, Georges Mikautadze.
At 23 years of age, the diminutive striker certainly fits West Ham’s new recruitment profile.
The Hammers were heavily linked with Mikautadze last summer when he was at Metz. But in the end he joined Dutch giants Ajax instead as they looked to replace that man Mohammed Kudus when he was sold to West Ham.
Mikautadze struggled at Ajax and was loaned back to Metz in January with an option for them to re-sign him permanently.
He instantly rediscovered his form, hitting 13 goals, laying on four assists and being crowned man of the match four times in just 20 appearances.
Since then he has also been one of the stars of a rather dull Euros this summer with Georgia.
He crashed out when Georgia were beaten by Spain this week but remains the joint top scorer in the tournament with three goals.
That has put him back on Steidten’s radar with the likes of Goal reporting West Ham have submitted a bid in excess of his reported £16m valuation.
There has now been a big development.
Because a Mikautadze deal has been confirmed and now he could head straight to West Ham.
Amid all the talk of a bid from the Hammers, one crucial factor was being overlooked.
Mikautadze confirmed and he could head straight to West Ham
He was still owned by Ajax and Metz only had an option to buy not an obligation.
Last night Ajax confirmed they have agreed a deal for Mikautadze to return to the French club on a permanent basis.
Ajax also confirmed they paid Metz £10m for the West Ham target last summer.
It is safe to assume the two clubs have simply written off the remainder of what is owed on that deal, likely around £8m given transfer payments are usually spread over the course of the length of a contract deal in equal tranches.
Now Metz are expected, according to reports in France, to immediately cash in this summer by selling him for more than double that amount.
“Ajax and FC Metz have reached an agreement on the transfer of Georges Mikautadze,” Ajax announced.
“The striker was on a loan spell at the French club for the past six months, with a purchase option included in the agreement.
“This option has been exercised, making the transfer of the 23-year-old attacker permanent. Ajax agreed with the French club on a transfer fee of €13 million (£10m). The Georgian international’s contract with Ajax ran until June 30, 2028.”
It is notable that Metz have not made a song and dance about Mikautadze’s return on a permanent deal.
In fact they are yet to even announce it.
That suggests reports that the French club have merely completed it in order to sell the striker on at a profit may have legs.
Given West Ham are said to be the club who have offered the most for the Lyon-born Georgian, his next stop could very well be the London Stadium.
Especially as Georgia’s exit from the Euros means the striker is available for talks and medical checks should things reach that stage.
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