Ahead of the opening of the transfer window, it seems that West Ham United are already one of the busier Premier League teams.
Technical director, Tim Steidten, is believed to have been in Brazil to look into sealing deals for Fabricio Bruno and Luis Guilherme, the former of which has collapsed over personal terms and the latter heading down the same route.
Notwithstanding that, The Guardian (subscription required) also report a move for a former Man City ace that Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen have been tracking for some time.
West Ham want Aleix Garcia
Aleix Garcia currently plies his trade with La Liga side, Girona, and was a major factor in the Catalan club’s drive towards the Champions League for the first time in their history.
The defensive midfielder is renowned for his calmness on the ball, his ability to break up opposition play and his passing range.
He would fit perfectly at both Leverkusen and Julen Lopetegui’s new-look West Ham side, though the Hammers are at a serious disadvantage despite the strength of their pursuit.
The Bundesliga outfit can also offer the 26-year-old Champions League football next season, whereas West Ham will not play in Europe for the first time in four years.
Having Lopetegui at the helm, a man known for his tactical intelligence and ability to develop players, might help the East Londoners in certain scenarios regarding signings, though Alonso’s pedigree is clear for all to see and players would surely be asking themselves ‘who wouldn’t want to play in this Leverkusen side?!’
It’s doubtful that the German outfit will ever enjoy a season like the one they had in 2023/24, and if it weren’t for Atalanta’s brilliant performance in the Europa League final, they would’ve ended the season unbeaten and with a treble to boot.
That is the benchmark moving forward, so Garcia needs to decide on whether he wants to help keep Leverkusen at their current unbelievable level or be one of a handful of new signings that will help propel West Ham into the Champions League for the first time in their history.