West Ham United are trying to hijack Sporting CP’s move for Belgian defensive sensation Zeno Debast.
According to a report from Maisfutebol, Sporting CP are closing in on the signature of Anderlecht centre-back Zeno Debast. They are in advanced talks to sign the Belgian international but West Ham United have entered the race and they are looking to hijack the deal.
Debast has been a part of the Anderlecht setup since his childhood days. He has come up the ranks at some pace and has been a part of their first team since 2021. He is already a mainstay at the club and was also a part of the Belgian national team at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Sporting closing in on Debast’s signature
The 20-year-old defender’s impressive rise has attracted a lot of attention and multiple top clubs want to sign him because of the huge potential that he has. Portuguese club Sporting CP have been linked with Debast for a while now.
According to the report, they are in an advanced stage in negotiations to sign the defensive star. The overall value of a transfer will be around €18 to €20 million. At this point in time, the clubs are looking to figure out the structure of the deal where Sporting will pay between €13 to €15 million as a fixed fee with another €5 million based on objectives.
West Ham looking to hijack the move for Debast
The Portuguese outfit are confident about his arrival but they have been informed that West Ham United who have been interested in his services for a while now have entered the race for his signature. The Hammers are looking to reinforce their defence ahead of next season.
They do not have much depth in the heart of the defence and with Angelo Ogbonna expected to part ways with the club, they need to add a new centre-back to the mix. People at the club feel the 20-year-old could be a great acquisition for the short as well as the long run.
While Sporting have Champions League football to offer and he will most likely get more opportunities in Ruben Amorim’s three-man defensive setup, the Premier League club have the financial power to lure him to the club. As a result, it will be interesting to see if they can hijack the deal.
