West Ham are moving in on two Celtic stars but Brendan Rodgers could make it work to his advantage when a big announcement is made.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was already furious with West Ham back in January.
So his mood won’t be improved by news that has emerged about the Hammers’ transfer plans involving Celtic ahead of the summer window – which now opens in less than three weeks.
West Ham have major plans to revamp their squad this summer but PSR means they need to cut their cloth accordingly.
That means raising money through sales and trimming a big wage bill.
It should be no great surprise to Celtic that they are a hunting ground for the Hammers.
West Ham paid Chelsea £1.2m to bring in Scottish recruitment guru Kyle Macaulay in January.
West Ham move in on two Celtic stars
Macaulay arrived with a dossier of players and instantly launched a move for young Celtic and Scotland star Daniel Cummings.
The Hammers had looked set to seal the signing of the Bhoys’ hot prospect 19-year-old forward Cummings in the winter window.
West Ham held talks about signing Cummings on a pre-contract agreement as he is a free agent in the summer.
Macaulay and Graham Potter were so keen to get the player in, they even held talks with Celtic over a paid deal of around £500k in order to avoid the need for a tribunal to set Cummings’ fee.
Celtic’s manager was far from happy at the prospect of losing the young hotshot to the Irons.
Rodgers raged at Cummings’ agent over the talks with West Ham as it became clear the east Londoners were closing in.
The Celtic boss even pleaded with Cummings to show patience and stay.
The Scottish champions resisted a permanent deal in January in the hope of changing Cummings’ mind.
Since then it has been claimed West Ham have a pre-contract agreement to sign Cummings lined up in the background.
It also emerged West Ham have promised Cummings he’ll be part of the first team squad as Potter and Macaulay look to drive down the age of the Premier League’s oldest squad.
That started in earnest this week as West Ham announced the release of four players with a combined age of 139 in the shape of Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal and Danny Ings.
First Cummings now Hammers want Bhoys ace Maeda
Now West Ham are moving in on two Celtic stars but it means Rodgers must be ready to pounce on a big announcement.
It has now been claimed that West Ham want Cummings’ fellow Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda this summer too.
The £25 million rated Japanese forward is firmly on West Ham’s radar too having impressed Potter and Macaulay with his versatility, pace and goal-scoring attributes.
Super sharp Maeda, 27, has been in the form of his life this season, scoring 33 goals and laying on 10 assists in 49 games.
In an exclusive, Caught Offside claim West Ham are readying a bid to bring Maeda to the Premier League, where he could be joined by Cummings after the reports that deal is done behind the scenes.
It’s not all bad news for Celtic, though.
West Ham are not making Evan Ferguson’s loan move permanent after a dismal spell in east London where he has failed to register a single shot on target, let alone goal, since signing on deadline day in February.
Hammers boss Potter says an announcement will be made on the future of Michail Antonio soon.
The Jamaican – like Ings and the three other senior stars – is out of contract this summer.
Some feel now is the time for West Ham to move on from Antonio, who is on his way back from a broken leg sustained in his horror car crash back in December.
Other Hammers fans think Antonio, who is now 35, still has a lot to offer as back-up and deserves another year.
The big decision is due on Antonio in the coming weeks.
Rodgers must be ready to pounce on West Ham announcement
If the reports of moves for Cummings and Maeda are true then they will join Niclas Fullkrug as forward options for West Ham next season.
With no European football, that would be plenty.
It would leave Celtic in desperate need of at least one, if not two, new strikers themselves.
There is no doubt Antonio would be a big hit in Scottish football if he can get back fit and firing.
He has pace, power and proven pedigree after nearly a decade in the top flight with the Hammers – for whom he is the club’s current all-time leading Premier League scorer.
Rodgers could take the edge off losing Cummings and perhaps now Maeda too by bringing in some experience in the form of Antonio.
In actual fact Ings, now 32, could also be an excellent addition on a free transfer as he gears up to be released by West Ham.
And both players would surely relish the chance to join a huge club like Celtic and possibly play out what remains of their careers there.
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