According to a report from the Guardian, West Ham have made a €15 million (£13 million) bid for Slavia Prague ace Tomas Soucek, but the Czech club want closer to €20 million (£17 million).
Signing a powerful central midfielder before this month’s transfer deadline will be of paramount importance for the Hammers, if they are to avoid relegation down to the Championship this season.
West Ham continue to get overrun in central midfield, and Mark Noble’s lack of mobility is really starting to become a problem.
Football.London claimed on Friday that the Hammers are keen to fix that issue, and are considering a swoop for Tomas Soucek.
And now the Guardian are claiming that West Ham have actually made a £13 million bid for the 24-year-old – one that falls £4 million short of Slavia Prague’s valuation of the player.
Just what the Hammers need
Standing at 6ft 4in tall, the 25-capped Czech Republic international would bring a certain kind of physical presence to West Ham’s midfield that they currently lack.
He is a defensive midfielder by trade, but he possesses a really impressive goal record this season, with 12 strikes in 26 games to his name (Transfermarkt).
Soucek’s defensive strengths are also clear to see with an average of four aerial duals won per game in six Champions League outings for Slavia Prague this season (Who Scored).
The 24-year-old also averaged 2.5 tackles, 2.5interceptions, 2.8 clearances and 0.5 blocks per game in those six outings, whilst boasting an impressive 82.6% pass completion rate (Who Scored).
In conclusion, £17 million seems more than reasonable for someone with Soucek’s quality, and West Ham really should just pay up.
The Czech ace could be a truly excellent addition for the east London outfit.
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