If anyone knows about West Ham’s transfer plans and secrets it is David Moyes and now Everton could take advantage.
David Moyes raised a smile at his old club West Ham by leading Everton to a 3-2 win over bitter rivals Spurs at the weekend.
While the Scot divided opinion by the time he departed the Hammers, he will always be respected and appreciated for what he achieved in east London.
It all got a bit unnecessarily messy for Moyes during his final days at West Ham.
The contract withdrawal from David Sullivan and the big fallout with technical director Tim Steidten were not befitting the service he gave the Hammers.
Now he’s back at Premier League rivals Everton, he may be able to get a measure of revenge over his old club.
When Moyes was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours, he credited West Ham for the achievement.
So the love and respect is clearly mutual.
It’s all about business now, though, as he fights to keep Everton in the top flight.
The Toffees, like West Ham, have made it clear they want to strengthen in the January transfer window.
Moyes pounces on distracted West Ham
Both clubs are looking to sign a striker and midfielder in the window.
But rather than put West Ham and Everton on a collision course over a mutual target, it seems a transfer distraction burglary may be unfolding.
Because Moyes has pounced on distracted West Ham as Everton hijack a deal for a midfield powerhouse.
The Irons have been looking at a number of midfield targets for new boss Graham Potter.
They include English quartet Angel Gomes, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Carney Chukwuemeka and Jobe Bellingham as well as Dutchman Ezechiel Banzuzi.
Any of those would be much-welcome in east London where West Ham’s midfield is quite literally at the heart of all the club’s problems.
Slow, immobile and lacking in dynamism, West Ham’s midfield offers little protection to the back four or much guile going the other way.
Everton boss Moyes no doubt feels the same judging by a new revelation from Alex Crook.
Yesterday, a journalist revealed the Hammers were the mystery Premier League club in for Chelsea’s Chukwuemeka.
Everton hijack Hammers deal for midfield powerhouse
It had seemed Chukwuemeka was destined to join Borussia Dortmund or another foreign club.
The Blues outcast has only started one game in all competitions this season and has only made four further sub appearances – none of them in the Premier League.
Enzo Maresca has publicly made it clear the powerful and talented midfielder can and should leave this month.
West Ham looked to be closing on a deal for the ex Aston Villa star – especially after Maresca stated he wants to keep Dewsbury-Hall.
But Chukwuemeka is not the only midfielder the Hammers have been in talks to sign.
Sky Sports and a number of other sources claimed West Ham have agreed a £13m deal to sign Banzuzi from OH Leuven.
Like Chukwuemeka, Banzuzi is a towering, powerful, all-action midfielder – just what the Hammers need.
Sky Sports appear to have jumped the gun on the Banzuzi, though.
And while the Hammers have been focusing on doing that deal, they’ve allowed Everton to sneak in and steal a march on Chukwuemeka.
Everton are now looking to hijack West Ham’s bid to sign Chukwuemeka, although Chelsea would have to be willing to terminate Armando Broja’s Toffees loan in order to facilitate a loan move.
As West Ham focus on Banzuzi, Everton swoop for Chukwuemeka
Moyes likely knows all about West Ham’s interest in Chukwuemeka.
Because the Hammers had him on a list of summer targets at the end of last season.
In fact West Ham failed with a deadline day offer to take him on loan for the season.
Now Crook has told talkSPORT that Moyes has sounded out Chukwuemeka about joining Everton instead of the Hammers.
The Toffees and Blues are now in talks about what to do over the Broja-Chukwuemeka loan swap over.
The worst thing for West Ham is that they could well now fail to sign both Banzuzi and Chukwuemeka as a result of failing to close out either move first.
Whoever snares Chukwuemeka is getting a technically gifted player who has composure on the ball and boasts great versatility.
The 21-year-old moved to Chelsea in 2022 but has failed to establish himself like many of the west London club’s raft of signings.
Comfortable operating in advanced positions, and a dynamic powerhouse of a player, Chukwuemeka would improve both West Ham and Everton.
Given Moyes’ reputation for dithering over transfers, Everton beating West Ham to a signing would be a damning indictment on the Hammers’ ability to get deals over the line.
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