Liverpool have stolen ‘elegant’ young star Amara Nallo from West Ham just months after he agreed a Hammers scholarship deal.
Is it any wonder some sizeable clubs across the country have been shutting down their academy systems?
West Ham are famed as The Academy of Football. But the Hammers have produced another top talent only to see it snatched away by Premier League rivals Liverpool.
West Ham have – like so many clubs – lost some top young starlets to the likes of Man City and others in recent years and now Liverpool are getting in on the act.
Football Insider reported at the start of the month that Liverpool were trying to sign hugely talented 16-year-old centre-back Amara Nallo from West Ham.
Liverpool steal ‘elegant’ young star Amara Nallo from West Ham just months after he agreed Hammers scholarship deal
The report claimed Liverpool were in negotiations with West Ham over a deal to sign the left-footed centre-back who has been publicly praised by academy coach Carlton Cole.
“I would describe Amara as a Rolls Royce of a centre-back,” Cole said in the Metro.
“He has a great left foot and is elegant when he moves with the ball. He can play the ball with both feet and has been working on his heading as well. He’s a player who has a high ceiling.”
Well it seems if Nallo is to reach that ceiling it will be with Liverpool and not West Ham.
Because Liverpool have stolen ‘elegant’ young star Nallo from West Ham just months after he agreed a Hammers scholarship deal.
Nallo was one of 12 academy talents to sign scholarship deals at West Ham in May this year, after appearing for the club’s Under-18s side.
Nallo will sign five year Liverpool deal and West Ham will be due compensation if transfer fee is not agreed between the clubs
And he was set to be handed a long-term professional deal with the Hammers upon turning 17 in November.
But he has now joined Liverpool and will instead sign a five-year professional deal with the Anfield club in when that day comes in November.
That’s according to a claim from Liverpool site DaveOckop last night.
The site posted a picture of Nallo posing in front of a Liverpool shirt sporting his name and the number five.
Further images of Nallo holding up his new Reds shirt have also been posted on social media, which you can see in the posts below.
It is a bitter blow for West Ham’s academy as Nallo was extremely highly regarded.
But it is unclear whether a fee has been agreed between West Ham and Liverpool for the young defender.
If not then compensation will be awarded to West Ham by a tribunal.
Back in 2021, Liverpool were ordered to pay out a record £4.3m fee to Fulham after taking Harvey Elliott from them as a 16-year-old.
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