Rumour Reel: West Ham hunting down AC Milan marksman Bacca
Lee Gormley | July 9, 2016
Coral’s rumour reel
The summer transfer window is wide open and plenty of business has already been done and dusted, but a host of Premier League clubs are continuing their hunt for new acquisitions ahead of what is sure to be a thrilling 2016/17 top-flight campaign.
Hammers hunt down Bacca
West Ham United enjoyed a superb season under Slaven Bilic and will soon be making the Olympic Stadium their new home ground, with the Hammers hoping to lure some more fresh faces to London in order to boost their already solid ranks.
Dimitri Payet was the star of the show last term and has maintained his form at Euro 2016 in France, though South American marksman Carlos Bacca has been highlighted as a potential capture for Croatian boss Bilic this summer.
The capital club have reportedly launched a £25.7m bid with the hope of securing the clinical Colombian’s signature from Serie A outfit AC Milan, as they look to bolster their firepower for the new campaign.
According to reports, West Ham’s offer activated the Rossoneri forward’s release clause at the San Siro and talks have already begun with his representatives, regarding an exciting arrival for the east Londoners.
Bacca bagged 18 Italian league goals last term and will be a huge threat to English top tier defences next season if he does arrive at the Olympic Stadium.
Arsenal after Lacazette signing
Arsene Wenger is another boss hoping to add talent to his strikeforce at the Emirates, and Arsenal have reportedly stepped up in their pursuit of Lyon frontman Alexandre Lacazette.
The Gunners have supposedly held talks over such a switch but are reluctant to fork out over the £42m that the Ligue 1 side are demanding this summer, holding negotiations up in the process.
It’s evident that Arsenal are in need of a new frontman to help fire them back to being Premier League title contenders, and France forward Lacazette is ideal, having struck 23 times in 44 outings in all competitions in the campaign gone by.
The 25-year-old fits the Arsenal bill perfectly, but it’s a case of whether the Londoners are willing to offload such a large sum for the marksman.
Toffees front runners to land Mata
Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Old Trafford cast serous doubts over the future of Manchester United playmaker Juan Mata, with the Spaniard having previously been allowed to depart from Chelsea under the Portuguese tactician’s reign at Stamford Bridge.
Former employers Valencia, as well as Europa League masters Sevilla, have shown plenty of interest in the Spaniard’s signature, but it seems that Everton are still leading the chase for his services in this summer window.
Mata was key to the Red Devils ending their 12-year wait for an FA Cup victory earlier this year and overall reached double figures for goals scored last term, bagging 10 in all competitions.
Although that may not be enough to spare him the boot from the red half of Manchester, after Mourinho acquired Borussia Dortmund attacker Henrikh Mkhitaryan, while talks are reportedly ongoing over a world record move for former academy graduate Paul Pogba.
Spanish attacking midfielder Mata has become a fan favourite at Old Trafford, but Mourinho’s loss may be Ronald Koeman’s gain in the coming weeks, as the Toffees get ready to pounce for the 28-year-old.
Related
With the summer in full swing, there’s gossip aplenty in Coral’s Rumour Reel, so check out other editions to ensure you don’t miss any tasty tabloid titbits.
Have a look at our extensive Euro 2016 section.
