According to a report from Area Napoli, West Ham United have set out what they’re willing to pay for promising Marseille midfielder Maxime Lopez.
Moyes’ side, who could be on the lookout for yet another attacking midfield option to support the likes of Pablo Fornals and Manuel Lanzini, even after signing Jarrod Bowen in the transfer window, will presumably be hoping to bolster his side’s creativity through any means necessary – but the club are reportedly refusing to pay over €15 million (£13.1m) for Lopez’ signature despite the search for more ingenuity in midfield.
This report also suggests that the Hammers will be faced with stiff competition as Premier League relegation rivals Aston Villa are also interested in a pursuit for the Frenchman.
Sevilla and the Irons seem to be currently behind Villa in their interest considering neither club are willing to pay the €20 million (£17.5m) valuation set by Marseille – with it looking like we could miss out on a player Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane rates so highly.
Will West Ham land their man?
Yes
No
Speaking to Goal back in 2017, via Birmingham Live, the Galacticos boss worshipped Lopez as an ‘outstanding natural talent’ – with Moyes potentially making a mistake judging by Zidane’s lofty praise.
According to WhoScored, Lopez has completed more dribbles than Irons attacking midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko whilst making more key passes in the final third than Fornals this season also – potentially highlighting why he could be a bargain valued at just €20m.
Lopez’ potential at such a young age (22) could also be a factor in our alleged interest, with a potential pursuit looking like the positives of his arrival would outweigh the negatives.
