West Ham could now make big decision on £60m Rice replacement at London Stadium
West Ham now know what they’ll have to spend to bring Premier League-proven star to London Stadium.
West Ham United are now aware of the minimum amount of money they’ll have to spend to bring key target Joao Palhinha to the London Stadium this summer, transfer insider Dean Jones revealed to GIVEMESPORT.
The Hammers are keen to bring in a swift replacement for the recently-departed Declan Rice, with Palhinha believed to be the ideal fit.
West Ham United transfer news – Joao Palhinha
Having pocketed £100 million on the back of Rice’s sale to Arsenal, West Ham now face a dilemma as to how they go about spending the cash.
An obvious gap in their squad that needs to be addressed is the hole left behind by Rice, with the east Londoners targeting a midfield anchor.
It’s suggested that the Hammers view Palhinha as their primary target this summer and have even had a bid for the Fulham man rejected.
According to The Athletic, West Ham sent a £45 million offer to their London rivals, which was laughed off by the Fulham hierarchy.
Fulham, as per the report, remain intent on keeping Palhinha, who has previously been dubbed ‘sensational’, at the club for the upcoming 2023/24 season and would only be willing to sell if an appropriate offer arrived in their inbox.
And now, with the new campaign just around the corner, West Ham have been informed as to what kind of price they’ll have to pay, should they wish to wrap up the Palhinha deal in the coming weeks.
What has Dean Jones said about West Ham and Palhinha?
When asked during an interview about the latest update regarding Palhinha to West Ham, transfer insider Jones admitted the Hammers were still pushing hard to reach an agreement with Fulham.
On the 28-year-old, Jones said: “Fulham absolutely don’t want to lose him. He’s probably the best out of the lot, if I’m honest.
“That’s in terms of what you’re getting straight out of the tin and particularly on the pitch, Palhinha is the best you could hope for.
“But you’re looking at at least £60 million and I don’t think they intend to put that much of the Rice money into one player.”
What’s next for West Ham?
Palhinha isn’t the only big-name star West Ham are after this summer, with reports suggesting the capital club also have Manchester United’s Harry Maguire on their radar.
That’s according to Sky Sports, who claim Maguire is currently considering his options having been stripped of the United captaincy earlier this week.
Journalist Paul Brown told GIVEMESPORT that David Moyes’ side were ‘definitely interested’ in bringing the England international to the London Stadium, but could be put off by the asking price.
According to The Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils are holding out for a fee in the region of £50 million for Maguire, who still has two years left on his current contract.
Elsewhere, West Ham are also keen on Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, as the Hammers look to seal a cut-price deal with the Championship side.
The Daily Mail are reporting an offer of £20 million is being prepared by West Ham, even though it falls someway short of Southampton’s rumoured £40 million valuation.
