West Ham United have indicated interest in signing Chelsea forward Joao Felix this summer, as per TBR Football.
Felix has had quite the journey since his switch from Portugal to Spain. Despite spells with top European clubs like Barcelona, Chelsea, and AC Milan, his performances have not been enough to convince the clubs to retain the 25-year-old beyond a year.
According to TBR, the Hammers have set sights on the Portugal international and are interested in reaching a deal with Chelsea to bring the Portuguese to the London Stadium this summer.
According to the publication’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey, Chelsea are open to Felix leaving as he’s not in the club’s future plans. They have given the go-ahead for his camp to negotiate transfers with other clubs over his departure in the summer transfer window.
Hence, West Ham have now put themselves in pole position to discuss his transfer over a possible loan move to the club in the summer.
However, according to the report, Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers—who already boast a strong Portuguese contingent—have also expressed interest in securing the Portugal international on a loan deal for next season.
Felix to West Ham
The report adds that the forward is also considering a return to his boyhood club, Benfica, or a switch to Serie A outfit Como, while a potential move to the Saudi Pro League remains on the table with fellow compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo pulling the strings.
At this point, another loan move for Felix seems improbable, and it’ll be interesting to see whether the Hammers are willing to pay his €25m (£21m) Transfermarkt valuation.
Despite a summer of heavy spending, which saw the Hammers bolster their attack with the additions of Crysencio Summerville, Luis Guilherme, and Niclas Füllkrug, the Hammers have found goalscoring difficult to come by. The attacking trio have only accumulated four goals.
Their overall league tally of 37 goals is also the second lowest of any team outside the relegation zone, and this calls for urgent concern in the summer.
Felix would undoubtedly provide the East London club with a creative outlet and reliable goalscoring threat upfront.
However, looking at Felix’s recent struggles, the move doesn’t make much sense for a club striving to remain at the top flight, and the funds would be better invested in a more reliable and consistent player.
