New £20m relegation clause should reignite West Ham’s interest in Tyler Adams
Former West Ham United target Tyler Adams is available for a fee of around £20m following Leeds United’s relegation to the Championship, according to the Athletic.
Sources close to the deal suggest that a release clause was activated following the Whites’ relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season and it is close to the £20m fee Leeds paid RB Leipzig 12 months ago.
West Ham have been in the market for a midfielder since Declan Rice’s departure but have found a deal hard to complete having been linked with, Conor Gallagher, James Ward-Prowse and Denis Zakaria, but this new revelation should reignite the Irons’ previous interest in Adams, [Leeds Live].
While Leeds did ultimately succumb to relegation last season, Adams was the bright spark of an otherwise poor team, making 24 appearances in his first Premier League but missed the final 11 games of the campaign with a hamstring injury.
The trouble for the Whites was the fact that Adams only won five of the matches he featured in, demonstrating the struggles of the Elland Road outfit, but that doesn’t mean the American was a failure.
Defensively, the 24-year-old was always busy, but excelled against the challenge, sitting in the 99th percentile (according to FBREf) of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of tackles per 90 minutes played, averaging 3.72.
There are similar shades of green across his entire defensive profile, sitting in the top 3% of midfielders for blocks per game and the top 18% for interceptions, but on the ball, he wasn’t as obviously special.
He fell in the bottom 25% or lower in terms of, expected goals, expected assists, progressive carries and successful take-ons, all while barely getting a touch in the opposition penalty area all season.
Now a quick comparison with his final season with RB Leipzig shows Adams is more than capable of being effective on the ball, sitting in the top 10% of Bundesliga midfielders in terms of passes attempted, passes completed and progressive passes per 90.
Although this form hasn’t been able to be reproduced yet in the Premier League, it was hard to be particularly potent in the Leeds midfield last year, such was the poor standard of play around Adams.
Partner with Ward-Prowse
One way the Irons could navigate the loss of Rice would be to sign Adams and a more attack-minded midfielder to operate in tandem, and James Ward-Prowse fits that bill.
The Southampton midfielder is much more of a creative force, sitting in the 87th percentile of midfielders in terms of expected assisted goals, a far greater attacking output than Adams has managed.
With both players relegated to the Championship last season, they could well be bought for much cheaper fees than any of the Irons other midfield targets, especially when relegation clauses are now revealed.
If West Ham could sign both Adams and Ward-Prowse they could well navigate the difficult season ahead, without their former captain and talisman in the middle of the park.
In other West Ham news, Manchester United have set a price of £35m for Harry Maguire amid interest from the Irons
