The blockbuster West Ham and Juventus swap transfer deal that could supercharge Hammers' season
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West Ham United will not be playing in Europe for the first time since fans were allowed back into stadiums to watch football in the post-Covid era.
During their recent European adventures, the Hammers reached the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2021/22, won the Conference League in 2022/23, and made the quarter-finals of the 2023/24 Europa League. I've met West Ham fans who say they wouldn’t trade their European experience for anything else.
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Hide AdThe task for manager Julen Lopetegui is to get them back to where David Moyes had them—in Europe—while also keeping them competitive in the league. This isn’t an easy task, especially when you add the expectation of playing attractive football. The opening-day defeat to Aston Villa served as a perfect reminder that nothing is given in the Premier League; everything must be hard earned. The Hammers need quality in midfield, more physical presence, and the ability to compete with teams higher up the table. Villa have demonstrated what quality means, having spent £50 million on Amadou Onana—now that’s some serious ambition.
West Ham can achieve the necessary improvement in that department with smart business, which may require either monetary sacrifice, player sacrifice, or both. A quality upgrade can be found by casting the net wide, looking beyond the Premier League.
This is where Manuel Locatelli at Juventus comes in. He’s expected to have limited playing time at Juventus, as they have started a total rebuilding process under new coach Thiago Motta. The Old Lady of Italian football, as Juventus are known, have signed Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa, highly rated Khephren Thuram from OGC Nice, and are on the verge of completing an impressive deal for last season’s Europa League star Teun Koopmeiners from Atalanta.
Juventus need money to sign Koopmeiners, as the Dutch midfielder has stopped training at Atalanta to force a move. West Ham can take advantage of Juventus’s quest to overhaul their midfield and propose a swap deal, which would see Manuel Locatelli head to London and Emerson Palmieri go in the opposite direction.
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Hide AdOf course, West Ham would need to add some money to this proposed swap deal to entice the Italian club. Juventus have been in need of a left-back ever since Alex Sandro lost his form two seasons ago. Emerson could be a good short-term solution while they look to balance their books and pursue a younger quality left-back in the future.
West Ham United already have a replacement in veteran Aaron Cresswell, who isn’t far behind the Brazilian-born Italy international in quality. In Locatelli, the Hammers would have a worthy partner for Edson Álvarez when he returns from injury. The two, playing behind Lucas Paquetá, would form a quality midfield to rival those of Aston Villa, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur.
The attack is not a problem for West Ham United with Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen. The defensive side of the midfield is the issue, and they need to solve it quickly and cleverly before the window shuts.
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