West Ham United and Arsenal have been dealt a transfer blow as midfield target Stanislav Lobotka completes a £21.5million move from Celta Vigo to Napoli.
The Serie A club announced the deal yesterday, after fending off interest from the Premier League duo to secure Gennaro Gattuso’s second signing as manager.
West Ham have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old midfielder since the summer when they cooled their interest and signed Pablo Fornals instead.
Lobotka has earned 22 caps for Slovakia and is praised for his composure off the ball, ability to play short passes and focus.
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Ultimately, Lobotka was just one of a handful of midfield names linked with the Hammers so far this month.
I think bolstering his options in the middle of the park will be a priority for David Moyes now Darren Randolph’s £4million return has been confirmed.
Stoke City’s Joe Allen, Genk’s Sander Berge and Marseille’s Morgan Samson are still being linked and if I was to make a prediction, I’d say the former is the most likely candidate.
West Ham will probably secure a midfield signing before the transfer deadline, however, it’s a tricky time to do business and fans could be in for disappointment.
Declan Rice has held the defensive midfield position down admirably throughout a tough season so far, but we believe he really needs back-up that would not only help in the short-term but also benefit his long-term development too.
