The £20m perfect midfielder transfer who could see West Ham United win the transfer window crown
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There is no point in bringing in a manager if you’re not willing to back him, and West Ham have shown they are committed to ensuring new boss Julen Lopetegui has all the tools he needs to play an exciting brand of attacking football.
Since his arrival to replace the highly underrated David Moyes, who won the club’s first-ever European trophy, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has joined alongside Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo to strengthen the defence. The exciting signing of Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United adds further flair, pointing to what has been a very promising summer. The addition of Euro 2024 breakthrough star Niclas Fullkrug is another piece of lovely, lovely business from the Hammers.
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Hide AdNow, they have been linked to PSG’s diminutive but thrilling midfielder Carlos Soler, whom French journalists have often compared to former West Ham star Dimitri Payet. Soler is the type of midfielder who possesses all the qualities needed to succeed in the Premier League.
He has the attributes that Spanish manager Lopetegui values: a technically gifted player who can function as an attacking midfielder or as a deep-lying playmaker if the team needs to control possession. Soler, still relatively young at 27, has room to develop further under Lopetegui. His potential for growth makes him not just a solid short-term acquisition but also a valuable long-term investment for the team.
He would arrive at the peak of his powers, bringing valuable experience from his time at Valencia, where he broke through, and at PSG, where he won two Ligue 1 titles, a French Cup, and a French Super Cup.
He knows how to win, and having played alongside big names at PSG, he should be able to compete for minutes against the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Edson Álvarez, Tomáš Souček, and Guido Rodríguez. Reports suggest it would take a fee of around €24 million (approximately £20 million) to secure his services—a reasonable price in today’s market for a midfielder of his class.
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Hide AdOne of the reasons West Ham decided to bring in a new manager was to introduce a fresh style of play that would maximise their attacking talents, and they’ve already signed Fullkrug, the Germay international striker. The addition of Summerville also bodes well for the future, as he was one of the best players for Leeds United and has experience in the Premier League. But the signing of a tactical gem like Soler would be the proper icing on the cake: a multi-talented midfielder who contributes goals and assists and can adapt to different positions when needed.
Soler is the kind of signing that instantly strengthens the squad and gives the manager multiple options - if West Ham get their man, they’ve undoubtedly pulled off the Premier League’s best summer transfer window. Time will tell whether they can reap the rewards of their splendid spending strategy this season.
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