A club has sent a plea for West Ham to sign their star as Fulham move to muscle in on a deal to sign Hammers target Jota Silva.
At one point during the summer West Ham were said to be seriously considering appointing Fulham boss Marco Silva.
Hammers majority owner is said to be a big fan of Silva.
But a big compensation clause effectively put an end to West Ham’s interest and Silva remained with Fulham.
Now the Cottagers boss might come back to haunt the Hammers.
West Ham are searching for a new left-sided attacker as part of their summer overhaul.
That’s understandable given the uncertainty around the future of Lucas Paqueta whatever happens with the charges against him.
One of West Ham’s top targets this summer has been Marco Silva’s compatriot and namesake Jota Silva.
Portuguese outlet O Jogo claims Fulham are now considering pushing forward with a deal for the Vitoria de Guimaraes star.
Fulham want to hijack West Ham move for Jota Silva
Silva has a £17.5m release clause. Not that money will be much of an issue for Fulham with former Hammers target Joao Palhinha on his way to Bayern Munich.
One thing looks certain, Silva definitely thinks he’s on his way to the Premier League – be it with West Ham or Fulham.
Because the report claims the 24-year-old forward has been learning English amid the interest.
He can play off the left, right and as a centre-forward. And technical director Tim Steidten let it be known West Ham are focusing on versatile players who can play in multiple positions with the German saying it is ‘important in modern football’.
Silva ended last season with 14 goals and five assists across all competitions.
Clearly West Ham won’t want to lose out to a London rival and smaller club in the race for Silva.
Although having a Portuguese manager may give Fulham an advantage – if the Cottagers feel confident about keeping him at the club in the medium to long-term.
Club urge West Ham to sign their star as Fulham move for Silva
The sudden reported push from Fulham may give new perspective to news about another move that’s been in the offing for the Hammers.
A club has sent a plea for West Ham to sign their star as Fulham move for Silva.
According to The Mirror, Galatasaray are actually pleading with West Ham to sign Wilfried Zaha from them.
The Hammers have been linked with the former Palace man over the last month.
Zaha turns 32 later this year – so that does not really fit Steidten’s recruitment policy.
But rumours of a move to the London Stadium have persisted nonetheless.
In fact the player’s social media activity last month suggested a deal might be done after it emerged his agent had met with West Ham for talks.
Zaha could be made a free agent
The Hammers have been linked with a host of other players – including Silva – since.
That suggests Steidten and Julen Lopetegui might be trying to get a younger star in the door first and Zaha might be a tried and tested back-up option.
Gala have reportedly implored the likes of the Hammers to sign Zaha for a knockdown fee because they can no longer afford the huge wages they put him on after signing him for nothing.
The report states figures at the Turkish giants have told West Ham and other clubs the winger is on the market.
It also confirms Zaha is well aware he must accept a significant drop in salary if he does want to secure a transfer back to the Premier League.
Better still from West Ham’s point of view, Galatasaray are said to be considering paying Zaha off, which would make him available as a free agent.
So if West Ham miss out on Silva, don’t be surprised to see a formal move made for Zaha.
