West Ham United’s proposed deal to sign Fenerbahce defender Attila Szalai has apparently collapsed late on in the proceedings.
That’s according to a report from Turkish media outlet Fotomac who claim that the Hammers refused to match Fenerbahce’s asking price for the 24-year-old centre-back.
READ…Report claims West Ham have just made official £10.2 million bid for 22-year-old
That’s a real shame because he would have been a fine addition to David Moyes’s ranks at the London Stadium this summer.
The Scot has a real central defensive crisis on his hands at the moment with Nayef Aguerd out injured, Angelo Ogbonna nowhere near match fit and Issa Diop having left to join Fulham earlier this week.
Craig Dawson is still struggling with a thigh strain as well. So as things stand, Kurt Zouma is the Hammers’ only fit senior centre-back.
Signing Szalai would have been a very smart move from West Ham but alas, it seems as though he’s set to stay in Turkey for the time being…
West Ham to miss out on Attila Szalai
The Hammers’ deal to sign the 24-year-old defender has collapsed at the final stages according to a report from Fotomac.
That is a really big blow for Moyes and the West Ham fans.
West Ham were believed to be close to signing Szalai for around £13 million (Volkan Agir). For that money, the Hungary international would have been a fantastic addition for West Ham.
Whether we didn’t quite reach that figure or if Fenerbahce were demanding even more money is unclear.
What is clear is that Szalai has absolutely everything that the Hammers need at the moment.
The physically imposing Fenerbahce centre-back seems to be tailor made for the Premier League.
Standing at 6ft 4in tall, the 24-capped Hungary international is an imposing figure. He is incredibly strong, athletic and dominant in the air.
In 32 Super Lig games for Fenerbahce last season, Szalai bagged one goal and two assists. During those appearances, he averaged 1.1 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and two clearances per game (Who Scored).
He made 43.8 passes per match and recorded a completion rate of 81% (Who Scored).
Unfortunately for us, it seems as though the 24-year-old will not be moving to the London Stadium anytime soon.
West Ham shouldn’t give up on Attila Szalai though. He’d be a great signing for us. Hopefully the club keep pushing for the Hungarian ace.
Even if West Ham have to pay north of £15 million for Szalai, we still think it would be a good deal for the club.
Read other West Ham news:
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