West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh have moved to rebuff recent exits claims surrounding Nikola Vlasic, sharing an update on the Croatian.
The Lowdown: Vlasic dazzles...
The 2021 Hammers summer signing endured a tough first season under manager David Moyes at the London Stadium, starting just six Premier League games whilst only scoring a solitary goal (WhoScored).
As a result, West Ham saw fit to negotiate a 2022/2023 temporary spell away from east London with the 25-year-old joining Torino on a loan-to-buy deal.
Since completing the move, Vlasic has come on leaps and bounds in Serie A, currently ranking as Torino's second-best performer by average match rating.
The attacker is also their current top goalscorer and sits in the team's top two for attempts at goal and key passes made on average per game (WhoScored).
However, recent claims from Italy have suggested that Torino are still hesitant over taking up his option-to-buy - namely because of interest from AC Milan and a mooted £19 million price tag (Calciopolis).
The Latest: C&H share Vlasic 'reality'...
After this rumour, Irons insider C&H have moved to share the 'reality' behind his situation.
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They claim, via a key source, that the fee is actually around €13 million (£11m) and a permanent deal option price is 'already agreed' between Torino and West Ham.
The source in question told them:
“Once again it appears to be a case of news sources making up stories as there is no truth in a figure of £19 million.
"The reality is that a figure of €13 million euros has been agreed between the clubs.”
The Verdict: Cheap as chips?
Given the former CSKA Moscow star's form in Turin, West Ham may regret already agreeing an £11m option for Torino to sign him permanently.
Vlasic's form right now is an indicator he could even come back to east London and prove a success for Moyes with the right attitude, but alas, if he continues this run, we believe it is likely Ivan Jurić will push his Torino side to seal a fairly cheap move.