West Ham have reacted to a shock claim they want to bring an Arsenal favourite back to London amid real confusion over the club’s transfer policy.
West Ham are starting to get busy in the transfer market and the next port of call for Graham Potter is overhauling his midfield.
In truth the Hammers have made a mess of the middle of the park since selling Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m two years ago.
Replacing a generational talent like Rice was always going to be near impossible for West Ham.
All the dynamism, athleticism, class and personality he brought to the Hammers midfield, Rice transferred seamlessly over to his performances for the Gunners.
West Ham failed miserably to replace the attributes Rice brought their team, particularly pace, power and energy.
Potter wants to change that now and is being linked with a host of younger midfielder talents who are mobile and offer something different to the ageing collection of players that need serious renovation.
West Ham need a midfield reboot like Arsenal
Arsenal have strengthened their central midfield with the signings of Martin Zubimendi and Christian Nørgaard.
Mikel Arteta had to after the departure of Thomas Partey.
The Hammers want to offload players such as Guido Rodriguez and Edson Alvarez.
Potter is keen to bring in at least two new midfielders with talks ongoing for Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton.
Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes is said to be a player of interest to the Hammers while the likes of James McAtee have been linked too.
Those players all fit Potter and head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay’s stated vision for West Ham.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Like Arteta has built at Arsenal – and most other Premier League managers look to do – Potter wants a younger, more dynamic squad.
So a new link emerging this week has raised some serious eyebrows.
Now West Ham have reacted to a shock claim they want to bring an Arsenal favourite back to London amid transfer policy confusion.
Towards the end of last season Potter insisted he is not ageist but admitted his plan was to drastically lower the average age of the Premier League’s oldest squad.
Most players West Ham are being linked with this summer range between 20 and 25 in age.
West Ham react to shock claim they want Arsenal favourite
Potter’s first capture El Hadji Malick Diouf is Senegal’s starting left-back aged just 20.
Diouf is the perfect example of Potter and Macaulay’s recruitment philosophy.
So a claim from Germany has taken everyone by surprise.
Because Rheinische Post (21 July, page C4) is reporting that West Ham have suddenly thrown their hat in the ring along with Sunderland for ex Arsenal star Granit Xhaka.
The Swiss international is 32 now and has been playing in the vastly inferior and slower-paced Bundesliga since leaving the Gunners.
Last week, former West Ham technical director Tim Steidten named Xhaka as the key signing who elevated Bayer Leverkusen to the next level.
Photo by Alexander Scheuber – UEFA/UEFA via Getty ImagesXhaka link causes confusion over West Ham transfer policy
“Granit Xhaka was , in my opinion, the most important player for the project in Leverkusen and the composition of the team,” Steidten told Transfermarkt.
“He only arrived in the fourth year and created this balance. Only then did the picture make sense. Such a picture has to be drawn slowly; it takes a certain amount of time and requires excellent teamwork across the entire club.”
Hammers fans have been promised the next level for years now.
But would Xhaka really be the man to make that kind of impact now? Especially in the Premier League.
Xhaka being a West Ham target completely jars with everything Potter and Macaulay stand for in terms of recruitment.
After all it was only a few weeks ago Potter was stating he wants signings who can hold a future resale value for West Ham if he can get them.
West Ham board react to shock Xhaka rumours
Xhaka certainly won’t be that man as he turns 33 next season.
It has led some Hammers fans to speculate that majority owner David Sullivan might be behind the deal.
The timing was also suspicious given it has been widely reported midfield additions are the club’s next port of call.
The good news for West Ham fans – and their Arsenal counterparts who might not like the idea of seeing Xhaka turn out for a London rival – is that the Hammers board have had their say on the new rumour.
It would be galling for West Ham to have to turn to the man Rice replaced at Arsenal to plug holes in their midfield.
Especially with Xhaka another two years older to boot.
Hammers News put the claim to the top spokesman for West Ham’s owners for clarity on the situation.
The response was short, sharp and emphatic.
“Simply not true!” the top spokesman for West Ham’s board told Hammers News.
So this silliest of silly season rumours can be consigned to the bin.
Although it’s good news for Sunderland who are said to be pushing hard to bring Xhaka to the north east.