West Ham United progressing talks for Juve ace Filip Kostic as permanent transfer and loan discussed
West Ham are “progressing talks” to sign Juventus winger Filip Kostic and remain open to either a permanent deal or loan move, according to Toby Cudworth.
The 90.min writer posted on Twitter to say the Hammers are trying to move things along with the Serie A giants, and are hopeful of striking a deal before the 11pm transfer deadline on Friday (1 September).
It was reported by Mirko Di Natale on Thursday (31 August) that Juve have asked for a fee between £12.8million and £17.1m to sanction a sale.
Kudworth also said that the Hammers are also asking about 19-year-old Juve winger Samuel Iling-Junior as they seek to bolster their attacking ranks before the window slams shut.
Get a shift on
As always seems to be the case in any transfer window, moves do not materialise until the very last minute then there is a mad scramble to get them over the line.
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It is understandable to an extent. Dominos (metaphorical ones at least) are placed in a row, and it can take time for them fall as clubs have to weigh up who they have in their squads and who they can allow to leave.
West Ham clearly want attacking reinforcement before this evening’s deadline and Kostic is a player who David Moyes admires, so from that point of view you can understand the desire to bring him to the London Stadium.
He is now 30 years old, though, and while that does not mean is necessarily close to retirement it does mean there is next to no resale value, and a club like West Ham always has to weigh up the connotations of sanctioning such transfers.
If they decide that it is a deal worth doing well, quite frankly, get a shift on and get him in the door. Time is clearly of the essence with this one.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers are close to announcing a surprise deadline-day signing.
