Tensions are reaching boiling point between West Ham and outcast Nayef Aguerd amid a bidding war ahead of the transfer deadline.
West Ham are desperately trying to ship certain players out of the club before Friday’s 11pm deadline.
Kurt Zouma is set to complete a move to Saudi which will get a chunk of his £125k per week wages off West Ham’s books for the final year of his contract.
But the Hammers need to move more players surplus to requirements out if they are to make any further signings themselves.
West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui wants to sign PSG midfielder Carlos Soler.
And talk that West Ham could yet sign Villa striker Jhon Duran before the window closes is keeping supporters keenly interested in the events of the next 30 hours or so.
Nayef Aguerd is one such player the Hammers want to offload.
Hammers have made Aguerd situation perfectly clear
It has been made clear to Aguerd for some time – as far back as midway through last season – that he has no future at West Ham.
The £30m signing from Rennes has been a huge disappointment overall.
Aguerd’s performances have been inconsistent at best, error-prone and weak at worst.
Lopetegui has made it perfectly clear Aguerd is not in his plans by leaving him out of West Ham’s squads thus far.
But as deadline approaches the Moroccan remains at the club, by his own design.
And tensions are reaching boiling point between West Ham and outcast Aguerd amid a bidding war.
Tensions reach boiling point amid bidding war of sorts
It emerged earlier this week that Aguerd has turned down a move to a mystery Bundesliga team.
Now the French journalist who first broke news of Lucas Paqueta’s move to West Ham has claimed a bidding war of sorts has erupted over Aguerd.
Santi Aouna says Villarreal, Real Sociedad and Al-Ittihad Club are all interested and that a decision will be made in the coming hours.
The Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg claims Wolves want Aguerd and reports from Portugal suggest Porto are in for him too.
That should be music to West Ham’s ears given the club needs to move two or three players out in order to bring anyone else in.
But Aguerd, despite being well aware he does not have a place in the West Ham squad, is digging his heels in.
According to West Ham insider Sean Whetstone Aguerd is thus far refusing to join any of the sides who have made offers for him as he holds out for a bigger club.
Aguerd refusing to budge as West Ham eye signings
“The departure of Nayef Aguerd is looking less likely this afternoon with the club in the dark what will happen,” Whetstone said.
“There have been plenty of offers but the player appears to need holding out for a bigger club. There is around £15m of amortisation left on West Ham books which is the minimum they would accept but a loan with a obligation or option to buy is also a possibility.
“Aguerd was initially signed by West Ham in 2022 for £25m plus up to £5m in add-ons.”
Aguerd has a contract at West Ham and is perfectly entitled to stay put if that’s what he feels is the right decision.
But the world and its wife knows that is not the right thing for him, his career or West Ham.
Aguerd is proud of the fact he is a regular for Morocco.
So how does he expect to get in his national side if he is not even making West Ham’s squad for the rest of the season?
The defender and his representatives must be reasonable here.
The Hammers invested a lot of money in Aguerd and he has largely failed to repay that faith.
A number of top quality clubs have made offers to him and he needs to think very carefully about his decision in the next day or so.
If he is waiting for clubs bigger than Villarreal, Porto, Wolves and Real Sociedad then many might accuse Aguerd of having delusions of grandeur.
The Hammers will feel rightly aggrieved he snubs a departure and it stops them signing a player who can improve the team or squad.
A solution must be found imminently for all parties.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
