West Ham have reportedly made a £10.3m offer for Fenerbahçe centre-back Attila Szalai which has been swiftly rejected [Enson Haber].
The Lowdown: West Ham get ready for the 2021/22 season
As they get their ducks in a row ahead of pre-season, the Hammers will be desperate to acquire quality additions as they get ready to embark on their 2021/22 Europa League adventure.
David Moyes has made one acquisition since the curtain fell on 2020/21, bringing in Craig Dawson permanently from Watford owing to his excellent last few months for the Irons [whufc.com].
Could they now be set to become embroiled in a summer transfer saga following recent developments?
The Latest: Hammers see £10.3m bid rebuffed for Szalai's services
West Ham have seen a £10.3m bid swiftly rebuffed for Hungary international Szalai [Enson Haber via Hammers News].
Disappointingly for the Irons, his current employers are said to value the 23-year-old at around £17.2m, meaning the east Londoners would have to dig deep in order to secure their target.
Understandably, the 1.92m (6 foot 4) colossus may be brought in to consolidate the depth in central defence, which has been lacking in recent months due to the injury-prone tendencies of Italian defender Angelo Ogbonna [West Ham Zone].
The Verdict: West Ham should stump up the funds
Seeing their proposition rejected by Fenerbahçe will come as a frustrating blow to the London Stadium hierarchy.
Szalari is very capable of posing an attacking threat and the towering figure enjoyed a dominant 2020/21 season for both former club Apollon Limassol and his current side. Making 41 appearances last season between the two clubs, he registered an astonishing nine goal contributions, with six goals and three assists [Transfermarkt].
He has also featured 16 times for his native Hungary [Transfermarkt], impressing at Euro 2020 as he completed 17 ball recoveries across their three group games [UEFA].
Once labelled ‘amazing’ by Hungarian football journalist Gergely Marosi [New Straits Times], West Ham should really look to stump up the asking price in order to capture the talented centre-back.
Due to Fenerbahçe failing to obtain Champions League qualification, this may be possible to carry out so long as the Irons are willing to come closer to the Istanbul club's valuation for the player.
In other news, many West Ham United fans flock to news of a recent signing.