West Ham United and Aston Villa have been pursuing the same players so far this summer it seems. It was reported just last week at Aston Villa were attempting to hijack West Ham United’s move to sign Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri.
The fact that Unai Emery is sniffing around the Moroccan is a huge blow for Julen Lopetegui, considering the Villans’ financial muscle, and the fact that they’ll be competing in the Champions League next season.
En-Nesyri is absolutely perfect for what Lopetegui needs at the London Stadium right now. Signing a proven centre-forward should be right at the very top of the West Ham manager’s summer agenda.
The Sevilla ace would be the ideal long-term replacement for Michail Antonio, what with his aerial prowess, incredible work ethic and finishing ability.
The Hammers have actually been trying to sign the 27-year-old since January 2021, so if Villa win the race for him this summer it would really hurt. However, West Ham could get our own back on the west Midlands outfit in the summer transfer window it seems…
So whilst Emery might get the upper hand on Lopetegui regarding the race to sign En-Nesyri, the 57-year-old Hammers boss could get his own back on his old adversary. West Ham are apparently attempting to sign a right-back who Emery is very keen to bring to Villa Park this summer.
According to a report from ASRomaLive.it, the Hammers could hijack Villa’s move to sign Torino defender Raoul Bellanova this summer.
West Ham were actually linked with a £21 million move to sign the 24-year-old last month, and now our interest in bringing him to East London has ramped up it seems. The Italian is a proper modern day full-back, and he can get up and down the right hand flank for the duration of the 90 minutes.
Bellanova has energy, athleticism, pace and power in abundance. He plays just as much of a key role inside the final third as he does defensively. The Torino ace is a tenacious tackler and plays with a certain kind of aggression that makes him perfectly suited to Premier League football.
He bagged one goal and seven assists in 37 Serie A outings last season (Who Scored), and in my opinion, the Italian would be a major upgrade on Vladimir Coufal. He’d be a great signing for West Ham, and if we manage to beat Aston Villa to his signature it will be all the sweeter.
