West Ham eyeing ex-Premier League gem who Guardiola called "outstanding"
da cassino online： Yet to reach a breakthrough in pursuit of Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes, West Ham United have now reportedly set their sights on signing a former Premier League alternative.
Latest on West Ham's Fernandes move
da betcris： In truth, it’s been a fairly quiet summer for West Ham. Ahead of Graham Potter’s first full season in charge, the Hammers have lost Mohammed Kudus and welcomed El Hadji Malick Diouf, Callum Wilson, Kyle Walker-Petrers and Mads Hermansen with the hefty fee that Tottenham Hotspur paid for their winger.
Even after four incomings, however, there remain question marks over whether those at the London Stadium can improve on last season’s disappointing 14th-place finish. Whether the final two weeks of the transfer window answers those questions remains to be seen too, especially given the latest update on West Ham’s chase to sign Fernandes.
After discovering Southampton’s £50m valuation, West Ham have reportedly decided against submitting an improved offer for Fernandes. The Hammers seemingly believe that their £30m offer should have been enough to secure the midfielder’s signature.
Forced to search elsewhere for midfield reinforcements, just where West Ham go from here is the big question. The likes of Harvey Elliott are still on the market and given that he is likely to struggle for minutes even more than last year following Florian Wirtz’s Liverpool arrival, a deal could certainly be there to be done.
Meanwhile, West Ham have also got some talented options outside of the Premier League – including a Bundesliga talent.
West Ham eyeing Aleix Garcia
According to The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, West Ham are now eyeing a move to sign Aleix Garcia from Bayer Leverkusen. The Hammers could offer the Spaniard a route back into the Premier League for the first time since leaving Manchester City in 2020. Since that departure, he has featured for FC Dinamo, SD Eibar, Girona and joined Leverkusen last summer.
Now 28 years old and with plenty of experience under his belt, Garcia could prove Pep Guardiola right years on from the manager’s initial praise. The Man City boss described the midfielder as “outstanding” in 2016 before he opened the exit door for his departure.
League stats 24/25
Garcia
Fernandes
Minutes
1,455
2,935
Goals
3
2
Assists
4
4
Key Passes
32
35
When compared to Fernandes, it’s clear to see why Garcia is on West Ham’s radar in the event that they miss out on the Southampton star. In terms of output, both enjoyed similar seasons and both had an eye for a key pass.
What makes Garcia’s numbers all the more impressive is the fact that he played just 1,455 minutes of Bundesliga action last season. The stats suggest that with more game time, he would have outperformed Fernandes.