West Ham were said to be closing on another signing after the player in question was left out of his side’s squad this weekend but now he could join Scottish giants Rangers instead.
The Hammers and Rangers have very different priorities in the second half of the season.
West Ham are fighting for their Premier League lives and have given themselves new hope of survival with back-to-back wins over Spurs and Sunderland.
Meanwhile, Rangers are trying to hunt down Hearts to win a 56th Scottish title.
The January transfer window represents last chance saloon for the Irons and Gers in calling on help to achieve those goals with new signings.
West Ham and Rangers bosses call for more signings
West Ham spent £47m on strikers Taty Castellanos and Pablo just 48 hours into the window and added a third signing in the shape of little-known Venezuelan winger Keiber Lamadrid on loan for the rest of the season this week.
Rangers have also added three new players so far in January.
How many points would West Ham have taken from their last two games if Lucas Paqueta had been playing? 🤔
Maybe I’m harsh, but I just don’t think he suits this team anymore…
But head coach Danny Röhl is ‘knocking on the door’ for more January signings while West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo also reiterated his desire for further arrivals after the win over the Black Cats on Saturday.
Rohl has revealed he is consulting the Rangers recruitment team on a daily basis with a view to further bolstering his squad.
Nuno wants Fulham winger Adama Traore next while a defender and midfielder are also on the agenda.
There were conflicting reports over Traore on Saturday.
Hammers News was told a deal was finally set to be done to reunite the muscle-bound winger with Nuno after their spell together at Wolves.
Cottagers boss Marco Silva even admitted Traore is leaving but other reports stated the move had collapsed with the player having doubts.
West Ham were also rumoured to be closing on another deal.
Rangers steal march on star who was ‘close to West Ham move’
On the eve of the clash with Sunderland, Mike McGrath of The Daily Telegraph revealed longstanding Hammers target Dan Neil had not made the journey from Wearside to east London for Saturday’s game.
It was reported that was because the 24-year-old was edging closer to a departure with Sky Sports claiming West Ham may be the destination.
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We are staying up 🎵
However, now Rangers have stolen a march on West Ham for the star left out because he was ‘close to a Hammers move’.
West Ham were linked with Neil all summer.
But if he was close to joining the Hammers, then it seems he may have had a change of heart thanks to Rangers.
Neil is out of contract at Sunderland in the summer but has been linked with moves in January for small fees given he is available on a free in a few months.
Scottish journalist Alan Nixon has confirmed English clubs are keen on Neil amid the links to West Ham.
But he has revealed that the player is now willing to see out his Sunderland contract – despite Rangers pushing to sign him now – and that the money in Scotland may be the best on offer.
Nixon says Rangers are keen to take on Neil and even pay a small fee for him now – but there has yet to be an agreement.
Hammers target Neil may hold out for free transfer to Rangers
The reporter suggests that the English clubs may move on to other targets if they can’t sign Neil now, while the offer from Rangers will still stand come the summer.
Neil would offer West Ham or Rangers a blend of defensive grit, ball-progression and tactical intelligence in midfield.
He is a combative player with a high work rate who excels in breaking up opposition play and recycling possession quickly under pressure.
His game is built on smart positioning, quick decision-making and the ability to drive forward from deeper areas, providing a useful link between defence and attack.
Comfortable in tight spaces and capable of picking out progressive passes that can unlock midfield congestion, he would be a smart signing for either club and at a great age.
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