Could West Ham United be a potential destination for Real Betis midfielder, and Manuel Pellegrini misfit, Nelson Deossa this summer?
That was a question put to influential Colombian reporter Pipe Sierra this week.
West Ham reportedly failed with a £10 million bid for Nelson Deossa in the summer of 2025. The former Monterrey ace would instead join Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis side for an overall package of £12 million.
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But having started only eight times in a frustrating debut season on Spanish soil, the expectation is that Deossa will be on the move once again. Can West Ham United still be considered a realistic destination, though?
Diario de Sevilla do not seem to think so.
West Ham United again linked with Real Betis’ Nelson Deossa
The Andalusian publication reported in May that, while West Ham are supposedly still interested, their hopes of signing Deossa rested upon whether they would remain in the Premier League. Their subsequent relegation, then, might have delivered a fatal blow to those hopes.
As for Pipe Sierra, while he would not confirm if West Ham are still in the race, it is interesting to note that he did not deny it either.
“Nelson’s future at Betis is uncertain, and several teams are interested,” Sierra tells Zona Mixta. “I understand that an offer from a big Brazilian team has already been rejected. Truthfully, it was either Flamengo or Palmeiras.
“But I understand that the team that has made the most progress and has been scouting him for a while is [Argentine giants] River Plate. This monitoring has been going on for a while now, and now everything is aligned.
“I understand there’s also a major European team interested; or at least they tell me they are financially important, right? I’m not talking about Real Madrid or Manchester United, but it’s an important team financially that might be able to compete with River Plate’s offer.”
Manuel Pellegrini to make a loss on £12m Colombian
Sierra was asked if West Ham might be the ‘European team’ he was referring to. His response was rather coy, though it should be said that even a Championship version of West Ham would likely be capable of outbidding River Plate.
River have spent an eight-figure sum on only one player over the course of last decade.
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“Under the current conditions, Nelson Deossa isn’t going to stay at Real Betis,” Sierra adds. “In other words, his departure is a done deal; they just need to find the right formula to execute it.
“Surely Betis knows that they won’t be able to recover the 13 or 14 million dollars that they ultimately ended up paying. What I understand is that Betis knows they’re going to lose money.
“What is clear is that Deossa won’t be staying at Betis.”
Sierra describes Deossa, who missed out on Colombia’s 2026 World Cup squad, as a versatile ‘all-rounder’.
Someone who has improved his technical qualities and ‘silenced a lot of critics’, but who may also lack the real top-end craft to thrive in the heart of Real Betis’ midfield.
Other midfielders reportedly under consideration include Sheffield United’s Sydie Peck. Newcastle’s Joe Willock and Celtic’s Arne Engels have been mentioned, while ESTAC Troyes’ ‘exceptional’ Martin Adeline is one to watch as well.
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