There has been a significant development in West Ham’s move for Dutch midfield powerhouse Ezechiel Banzuzi overnight.
Excitement was building among West Ham fans yesterday when it was claimed the club had agreed a £13m deal to sign Ezechiel Banzuzi.
It’s well publicised that West Ham are working to sign a striker and midfielder in the January transfer window.
West Ham’s midfield offers almost no effective protection to the defence and little by way of guile and creativity for the forward line.
There is a distinct lack of pace and dynamism in the Hammers’ midfield.
And it’s no surprise that it is the first area Graham Potter is looking to strengthen to get West Ham competitive again.
One player in Potter’s sights is the 6ft 3in 19-year-old midfielder Banzuzi of OH Leuven.
Just over a week ago it was reported that West Ham had a cunning plan to hijack Monaco’s move for Banzuzi.
Major Banzuzi update for West Ham overnight
There seemed to be a breakthrough yesterday when the likes of Sky Sports and The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg reported West Ham had agreed a £13m deal to sign the powerful box-to-box talent.
Sky Sports News even reported Banzuzi was on his way to east London for a medical today.
“The deal is agreed here for this player who is 19, and turns 20 in just a few weeks,” SSN stated.
“The agreement is for £10million up front plus £3million in potential add-ons.
“Banzuzi is due to fly to England for a medical in the next 24 hours, so this one is on and it should be completed relatively soon.”
Those reports jumped the gun, though.
Hammers fans were left angry when the move was denied by senior club sources and the player’s agent.
Top Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri said Oud-Heverlee Leuven had denied any agreement with West Ham regarding Banzuzi.
It was also stated the Belgian club had not yet received any written offer from the Hammers.
Meanwhile former boss David Moyes made matters worse by launching his own hijack of a West Ham move for a midfielder.
Now Hammers made official Banzuzi bid says Belgian journalist
Supporters had been educating themselves on Banzuzi by watching footage online.
They were excited by what they saw – a midfielder perfect for Potter’s high-intensity, high-press style.
So when news emerged the deal was not complete and West Ham had walked away from a deal weeks ago, fans were not impressed.
But there may be some good news on the way.
Because there has been a major Banzuzi update for West Ham overnight says the Belgian journalist.
In a promising update, Tavolieri says the situation has now changed.
Because he says West Ham have now made their interest concrete with a written offer.
The reporter said it is now a ‘matter to follow closely’ and West Ham must ‘wait and see’ if it is accepted.
A player of immense potential, Banzuzi has shown the ability to seamlessly transition between defence and attack.
His ball control and dribbling skills are top drawer, as you would expect of a Dutch player.
That helps the rangy star to navigate tight spaces, while his vision enables incisive passing to create goal-scoring opportunities.
Without the ball, Banzuzi eats up the ground to break up play with well-timed tackles and interceptions.
He seems to be exactly what West Ham are crying out for.
Now the Hammers must wait to discover if their bid is accepted.
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