Newcastle United have made an 11th hour bid to hijack the £30m West Ham deal with Rennes for defender Nayef Aguerd.
That’s according to a high level West Ham insider who has confirmed the last ditch Newcastle move to website Claret and Hugh.
West Ham are already busy trying to fight off Newcastle in order to get on loan goalkeeper Alphonse Areola signed up to a permanent deal.
The Hammers and Newcastle have also reportedly been locked in transfer battles over Jesse Lingard, Sven Botman and Hugo Ekitike in recent months.
Now it seems the Magpies are once again trying to scupper West Ham’s transfer plans.
Because Newcastle have made an 11th hour bid to hijack the £30m West Ham deal for Moroccan defender Aguerd.
West Ham’s transfer dealings always seem to become long, drawn out sagas while some rivals get business done quickly and efficiently.
Well now Newcastle are threatening to beat the Hammers to Aguerd, who was widely reported to have flown to London to have his medical for a move to West Ham this week.
Aguerd was expected to be unveiled as a West Ham player in the near future – as reported by a host of outlets.
Newcastle make 11th hour bid to hijack £30m West Ham deal for Nayef Aguerd
But now Newcastle have pounced in the hope they can persuade Aguerd to move to St James’s Park instead.
“West Ham’s hopes of signing Nayef Aguerd have hit a potential problem…” Claret and Hugh report.
“And it seems that once again Newcastle United could be the thorn in our side as they take a late interest in the player.
“CandH’s key Hammers source, having explained that we were likely to see the central defender sign before the end of the week, revealed when we asked the length of deal he was set to sign: “Who knows, Newcastle are trying to hijack the deal.”
It will be a disastrous and all too familiar start to the transfer window for West Ham if Newcastle beat us to Aguerd.
We can only hope the deal with the Hammers was far enough down the road that Aguerd cannot be swayed.
But as we know all too well in football – and life – money talks.