Jose Mourinho is ready to make a move for one West Ham ace after another transfer he was working on fell through due to being hijacked by the Hammers, it has been reported.
West Ham working hard to strengthen
The arrival of Julen Lopetegui this summer has brought with it a freeing of funds in east London, with several new faces set to be on show when the Hammers kick off their new Premier League campaign against Aston Villa on 17th August.
After a difficult 2023-24 season under David Moyes, West Ham have added four new signings and plenty more are expected to arrive between now and the transfer deadline on August 30th.
West Ham's signings summer 2024
Player
Fee
Crysencio Summerville
Undisclosed
Max Kilman
£40m
Luis Guilherme
£26m
Wes Foderingham
Free
Indeed, two are imminent additions. The first of those is Borussia Dortmund striker Niclas Fullkrug, who was unveiled on Monday evening ahead of a switch to east London that is believed to have set the Hammers back a fee of 32m euros (£27m).
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The second of those is free agent Guido Rodriguez, who saw his time with Real Betis come to a close this summer and is now set to pen a two year deal at the London Stadium to bolster their midfield ranks. However, their move for Rodriguez may have unforeseen consequences at the London Stadium.
Mourinho wants West Ham man
That comes as Jose Mourinho is keen to take midfield man Tomas Soucek away from West Ham this summer. Now in charge of Turkish giants Fenerbahce, the ex-Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss has made eight new signings this summer, including ex-Newcastle winger Alan Saint-Maximin.
But he saw a potential move for Rodriguez fall through at the eleventh hour courtesy of interest from West Ham, who ultimately secured the Argentine's signature.
And now he has turned his attention to the very man Rodriguez may replace at the London Stadium, with Turkish outlet Takvim [via HITC] claiming that Mourinho is ready to try and land Tomas Soucek this summer to fill the hole in his midfield.
Soucek started 34 Premier League games last season for the Hammers, and still has three years left to run on his £90,000 a week deal at the London Stadium.
However, the 29-year-old faces fresh competition in the middle of Lopetegui's midfield with Rodriguez joining James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez as options for the new Hammers boss to choose from.
There is even speculation that West Ham may still be chasing another midfielder before the window closes, which would heighten the competition for places yet further, and at 29, Soucek is entering the last few windows for West Ham to see any return on their £19m investment on the Czech midfielder.
Meanwhile, a move to Turkey would see him return to European football, which could even be the Champions League if Mourinho's side are able to beat Lille in the play-off for Europe's elite competition.
