West Ham now battling Sunderland to sign “aggressive” Bundesliga winner
With El Hadji Malick Diouf secured and Kyle Walker-Peters seemingly on his way, West Ham United have now reportedly joined the race to sign a Bundesliga winner.
West Ham reach agreement to sign Walker-Peters
Swooping in with a quickfire deal following a break down in talks with Besiktas, West Ham now look destined to sign Walker-Peters this summer. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Hammers have agreed a three-year contract with the defender, who will be completing his first move since becoming a free agent after leaving Southampton earlier this summer.
The defender will follow the arrival of Diouf, who recently spoke for the first time since swapping Slavia Prague for the London Stadium – telling the official club website: “I’m really happy to be here and to make a progression for my career. I’m looking forward to working hard and joining my new team-mates.
“There were a lot of teams [who wanted to sign me], but I chose West Ham United first and I spoke with the coach [Graham Potter] and it was a good plan for me.
“Everyone wants to come here to play in the Premier League. I think it is a dream for everyone. When they are here, they want to make everything good. I think they also have the personality to play here and if you are young, you want to continue your progression.”
With one recent signing set to turn into two, West Ham aren’t done there. Those at the London Stadium now reportedly want to land their biggest signing of the summer in the form of a Bundesliga winner.
West Ham join Xhaka race
According to The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, West Ham are now battling Nottingham Forest in the race to sign Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen. The former Arsenal man looks set to be on the move ahead of next season and has attracted interest from the Hammers, Forest, Sunderland, Fulham and Crystal Palace as a result.
In a hectic Premier League battle, West Ham could yet welcome a former rival who finally discovered his best form at Bayer Leverkusen following a spell full of ups and downs at Arsenal. There were times when he was deemed important at The Emirates, but there were far too many times that his relationship with home fans was tested beyond its limit. A break-up, in truth, always seemed likely.
Ever since swapping the Gunners for Leverkusen, however, the Swiss midfielder has thrived and even became an invincible Bundesliga winner in the 2023/24 campaign.
Dubbed “aggressive” by former manager Xabi Alonso during what was an extraordinary Leverkusen campaign, Xhaka’s redemption arc could now be destined to end in London and at West Ham.
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