West Ham transfer news: Enquiry made for long-term Leeds target as David Moyes moves on from Amadou Onana snub
West Ham are looking to move on from their Amadou Onana disappointment quickly having launched a bid for Teun Koopmeiners – but any deal for the Atalanta midfielder appears fraught with difficulties.
The Hammers are looking to strengthen their squad this summer after seeing a push for the top four fade last season. For long periods, David Moyes’ side were in the mix for the Champions League spots, only to see their lack of depth come back to haunt them. As such, that is a situation that Moyes is looking to put right this summer.
So far, West Ham have managed to bring in five new signings. The most prominent of these is Gianluca Scamaca, a £32.4m addition from Saussolo. The signing of the Italy striker finally ends their long hunt for a new striker.
However, Moyes is also desperate to strengthen his midfield options. To that end, he is looking to ease the burden on Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek, particularly in light of another European campaign.
As such, West Ham appeared to be in the driving seat to secure the signing of Onana. Having agreed a £33.5m deal and agreeing personal terms, the Hammers were left bereft when Everton pinched his signing from under their noses. To make matters worse, one pundit reckons the deal will likely go down as one of the signings of the summer.
As such, that leaves Moyes to go back to the drawing board and now reports in Italy claim they are targeting Koopmeiners.
The Netherlands midfielder has long been a target for Leeds United. They have been on his trail since their return to the Premier League. To that end, former boss Marcelo Bielsa is a known admirer.
However, Leeds ultimately didn’t make their move, leaving Atalanta to lure him from AZ Alkmaar instead.
Atalanta set their stall out over Teun Koopmeiners
The Serie A side paid just £10.2m (€12m) for his signature last summer and has proved an astute addition.
He made 43 appearances in his debut season, scoring four goals and generally impressing with his all-round play.
That form has alerted Moyes to his talents. And as per CalcioAtalanta, Koopmeiners is the ‘subject of an enquiry’ from West Ham during the last few hours.
However, despite regularly selling their top talents, Atalanta are reluctant to cash in on the 24-year-old.
With just 20 days left in the window, Atalanta are reluctant to sell. As such, the report claims ‘a possible negotiation appears very complicated’. Furthermore, they deem Koopmeiners ‘almost unsellable’ with the player a hugely-influential figure in their side.
The manner of West Ham’s offer has not been disclosed. However, even the prospect of more than doubling their initial investment is unlikely to convince them to sell.
As such, the Hammers may face more transfer frustration before they can add to their squad.
