Three top West Ham targets were left out of match squads as speculation intensifies over moves to east London.
West Ham played out a 1-0 pre-season win over Dagenham and Redbridge yesterday.
But it was pre-season matches elsewhere that may be of big interest to the Hammers.
West Ham are looking to sign eight players this summer and have brought in three so far.
There have been no new arrivals since the Hammers brought in Max Kilman for £40m two weeks ago.
With less than four weeks to go until the start of the new Premier League season and six until the close of the transfer window, the pressure is building to get deals done.
Especially as West Ham still need to sign players in key positions such as striker, centre-back and central midfield.
Hammers business slows with five signings needed
A host of players have been linked with moves to the London Stadium with N’Golo Kante the latest along with the likes of Juventus’ Arthur Melo.
Signing a right-back is also a top priority with Kyle Walker-Peters and Aaron Wan-Bissaka the names in the frame.
There has been a glimmer of hope that a deal for central defender Jean-Clair Todibo may still be possible.
Nice are said to be furious with Todibo for snubbing West Ham in the hope of signing for Juve.
The Hammers do have a Plan B, though, with RB Salzburg’s Oumar Solet said to be the Hammers’ alternative.
So it is notable that three top West Ham targets were left out of pre-season match squads as speculation intensifies.
Top West Ham targets left out of squads as speculation intensifies
Southampton beat Eastleigh 7-1 on Friday but there was no sign of West Ham target Walker-Peters in the Saints squad as speculation intensifies over a move to east London.
Talk had shifted towards Wan-Bissaka of late with claims Southampton were demanding too much money for Walker-Peters in talks with the Hammers.
Hammers News exclusively revealed Wan-Bissaka’s agent Will Salthouse has been pleading with David Sullivan to sign his client.
But unlike Walker-Peters, Wan-Bissaka was in pre-season action for Man United – starting at right-back in a 2-0 friendly win over Rangers.
Meanwhile RB Salzburg beat Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 yesterday.
And West Ham’s Todibo back-up plan Solet was nowhere to be seen.
An extra layer of intrigue was added when Salzburg’s website stated the 24-year-old French defender was one of a number of players ‘missing for various reasons’.
Solet, Melo and Walker-Peters absences raise eyebrows
Could that reason be that he is on the verge of being sold to West Ham? With one year left on his contract, the Hammers are reportedly able to get Solet for around £8m.
With David Ornstein confirming it is unlikely West Ham will sign Kante, it will not escape the club’s attention that another central midfield target has been completely left out of his club’s entire pre-season trip.
Juventus are heading to the Adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach for a week-long training camp in Germany, culminating with a friendly encounter against German outfit Nuremberg at the Max-Morlock Stadium next Friday.
Juve have announced their squad for the trip.
And reported Hammers target Melo has not been named with Fabrizio Romano claiming it is because he is expected to be sold.
It will now be interesting to see whether there are any developments in the coming days regarding West Ham’s interest in Walker-Peters, Melo and Solet.
Especially as the Hammers head out on their own pre-season tour to the US.
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