
Exclusive: West Ham have opening bid turned down for Jota
With Sofiane Feghouli likely to leave the club in the near future, West Ham are in the market for a new winger and have focussed their attention on Brentford star Jota.
Following our report that the Spaniard was closing in on a move to East London, we have learned that after weeks of discussions, the Hammers have launched an opening £3m bid for the attacker, which has been turned down by the Championship club.
The 26-year-old is keen to make a Premier League move with West Ham and has turned down interest from fellow Championship clubs as he waits for a deal to be reached between the Hammers and Brentford.
Personal terms are settled and as noted, Jota himself would like the move, but we understand Brentford are holding out for a fee closer to the £8m mark. West Ham are expected to come in with a second offer and believe a deal could be reached nearer a £6m figure. There’s a growing confidence that an agreement will be met sooner or later.
After returning from a loan spell with Eibar, Jota scored 12 goals and provided five assists for his teammates in 21 appearances last season, putting himself on West Ham’s radar.
West Ham have had great success buying from the Championship in recent seasons, with Aaron Cresswell, Sam Byram and Michail Antonio all being picked up for fees that are now below their market values.