West Ham United are clearly in need of a long-term solution to their midfield situation: Carlos Soler is on a season long loan from PSG and unlikely to be staying on a permanent deal: Whilst his transfer fee might be a reasonable €17-20 million, his wages are claimed to be in the region of £200k per week which is not a ‘West Ham’ budget.
Lucas Paquetá’s future is unclear with the threat of a lifetime ban now hanging over both the player and the club. Little wonder then that we hear The Hammers are out preparing for all eventualities.
One of the players under observation as a creative midfielder is Charles De Ketelaere, a Belgian International, currently undergoing a ‘career revival’ at Atalanta according to teamtalk.com.
At twenty three years old, this left footed creative midfielder who can play centrally or, apparently as an out and out number 9, De Ketelaere has been scouted by a number of Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Spurs and Newcastle. Having only joined his present club in July, the best time to buy him has passed and he’d be expensive with a 3 year contract running until 2027: Transfermarkt.com suggest €34 million which is modest if top-level Premier League clubs decide to bid.
Any Hammers’ move for the player would be deferred until Summer 2025, presumably West Ham see him as a form of ‘Paquetá insurance’ once the outcome of the FA enquiry is decided and the Brazilian’s future determined.
Only then would The Irons be likely to move as Carlos Soler’s loan spell ends at the same time next Summer. This would leave West Ham thin in creativity and relying upon the two dimensional James Ward Prowse once again, upon his own return from a patchy loan spell at Nottingham Forest.
Expect news of more of these midfield prospective ‘Paquetá replacements’ to crop up over the coming months as West Ham carry out their contingency planning.
