A journalist has made an astonishing claim about offer ab Chelsea have made to West Ham regarding a top star.
West Ham are not messing around in the transfer market this summer.
And where there’s players to be purchased Chelsea won’t be far from the equation.
The Hammers have already completed the signing of brilliant teenage Brazil Under 20 star Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras.
Ironically West Ham actually beat Chelsea and several other clubs to Guilherme.
It seems technical director Tim Steidten has got Chelsea’s number in some respects.
The German came very close to joining Chelsea and working alongside Thomas Tuchel before his sacking.
Steidten ended up at West Ham after leaving Bayer Leverkusen in the best shape in their history.
And he rubbed salt in Chelsea wounds by beating the Blues to the signing of Mohammed Kudus last summer.
Although Chelsea did – by vice-chair Karren Brady’s own admission – beat the Hammers to Cole Palmer too.
Todd Boehly propositions West Ham
With the future of Lucas Paqueta as clear as mud, now Steidten and West Ham are in the market for a host of other talented attackers.
Even after signing Guilherme, the Hammers have been linked with signing fellow Brazilian Wesley Gassova, Argentine Matias Soule and Portugal’s Jota Silva to name but a few.
Steidten will have to address West Ham’s lack of players satisfying the Premier League’s homegrown rules with another six or seven signings needed.
Now it seems Chelsea have offered their London rivals a player who would tick both boxes.
A journalist has made an astonishing claim about an offer Chelsea have made to West Ham.
And it might just prove tempting for the Hammers.
Chelsea’s astonishing player offer to West Ham
Blues chief Todd Boehly – who was once linked with a West Ham takeover – has reportedly offered Raheem Sterling to the Hammers and Crystal Palace.
That’s according to journalist Graeme Bailey.
Speaking to Hammers News, Bailey revealed his Chelsea sources have told him they are ‘desperate to get Sterling out’ of Stamford Bridge.
So desperate in fact they have offered him to the Hammers and are willing to pick up a large portion of his wages.
“They (Chelsea hierarchy) think Palace and West Ham might be the only options,” Bailey told Hammers News.
“They are willing to cover a huge chunk of his wages, which actually makes him sort of tempting.”
In the past this kind of deal may have really appealed to West Ham.
Chelsea pledge to take pounds off Sterling salary
Indeed it may well appeal to Steidten and new head coach Julen Lopetegui given Sterling’s experience, pace and the fact he helps tick the ‘homegrown player’ box.
But by the same token he turns 30 next season. His career is in decline rather than in the ascendancy like many of the other stars West Ham are being linked with.
Sterling did score 10 goals and lay on five assists in 31 starts in all competitions last season, though.
He was a bit-part player for much of the campaign too.
If it was a loan deal then it might be a good option for West Ham if – as Bailey states – Chelsea will take some of the weight out of his wages.
While it doesn’t really fit West Ham’s new recruitment model, Lopetegui will need some senior players who have been there, done it and got the t-shirt.
So it’s an intriguing proposition from Boehly.
From the outside looking in, though, it surely seems more like a deal would be cut with Palace – especially if they end up selling Michael Olise to Chelsea as is being reported as a possibility.