West Ham United are reportedly considering a move for Bayer Leverkusen’s Aleix Garcia as their pursuit of Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes faces challenges due to the high asking price. Amid speculation about Lucas Paqueta’s future, West Ham aims to bolster their midfield options while managing financial constraints. Garcia emerges as a potential target due to his lower transfer fee, aligning with the club’s strategy to strengthen the squad without overspending.
West Ham United are reportedly setting their sights on Aleix Garcia, a midfielder currently playing for Bayer Leverkusen. This potential move comes as the Hammers face difficulties in securing their primary target, Southampton's talented playmaker Mateus Fernandes, during this summer transfer window, according to TBR reports. The London-based club initially prioritized Fernandes, viewing him as a key addition to bolster their midfield options. However, Southampton's valuation of their prized asset is proving to be a significant hurdle in negotiations.
Southampton are reportedly demanding a fee in excess of £50 million for Fernandes, a figure that West Ham are hesitant to meet. This impasse has forced the club to explore alternative options, with Garcia emerging as a viable candidate to fill the creative void in the center of the park. The interest in Garcia suggests a strategic shift by West Ham, indicating their willingness to explore different avenues to strengthen their squad without overspending in the transfer market. The club is looking for the perfect player in the market that will align with their goals for the upcoming season.
The situation surrounding Lucas Paqueta's future at West Ham adds another layer of complexity to the club's transfer dealings. Recent speculation suggested that West Ham might be open to selling Paqueta for a reduced fee of £30 million, but journalist Graeme Bailey has dismissed these claims as unfounded. Bailey emphasized that West Ham stood by Paqueta during a challenging period, implying that the club values him highly and is not actively seeking to offload him for a cut-price deal. The Journalist said in an interview that talks of west ham accepting £30m is totally ruled out.
Bailey's insights shed light on West Ham's stance, suggesting that the club would only consider offers that reflect Paqueta's true worth and contribution to the team. He also mentioned, "He’s been playing the last two years— he’s not been like Pogba, he hasn’t been banned, he hasn’t spent two years on the sidelines. So why would they suddenly drop from £70m down to £30m? That’s nonsense – they have other options.”
According to Bailey, Aleix Garcia has emerged as a potential target for West Ham. He said, "One option is Leverkusen’s Aleix Garcia, a player they quite like, he’s not really on anyone’s radar at the moment.” This suggests that West Ham's interest in Garcia is concrete and could intensify if the deal for Fernandes falls through. The journalist explained further that West Ham needs to move some players out first to free up funds. West Ham's manager believes this season should be one that the team can challenge for titles if the squad is strong enough.
Bailey also touched upon West Ham's previous interest in other players, including Jacob Ramsey and Harvey Elliott, highlighting the financial constraints that the club is currently operating under. The departure of Mohammed Kudus left West Ham with a limited transfer budget, and the recent acquisition of Hermansen further depleted their funds. In light of these financial limitations, Garcia emerges as an attractive option due to his potentially lower transfer fee compared to other targets such as James Ward-Prowse, who has also been linked with a move to West Ham.
As West Ham navigates the complexities of the transfer window, the pursuit of Aleix Garcia underscores their determination to strengthen the squad while remaining financially prudent. The outcome of their pursuit of the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder will likely depend on their ability to overcome the obstacles in the Fernandes deal and manage their limited resources effectively.