West Ham United tabled an offer to lure Ki Sung-yueng to the London Stadium before the former Swansea ace chose to join Newcastle United on a free transfer, according to the Chronicle.
The regional newspaper report that the Hammers were one of three other teams to offer the South Korea captain a deal after his departure from Swansea following the expiry of his contract.
The Chronicle claim that Newcastle attempted to keep the deal under wraps as they were aware of the heavy interest from elsewhere, with the Magpies completing the agreement within 48 hours of South Korea’s elimination from the World Cup.
OPINION
It is not a surprise to hear that the Hammers submitted an offer to Ki, who would have been a good signing for the club this summer. The South Korea international is a solid midfielder with a lot of Premier League experience who would have been a brilliant squad member at the London Stadium. The fact that he was available on a free transfer means this was a no-brainer for the club, who maybe should have done more to convince the 29-year-old of a move to east London. The Hammers are badly in need of a new central midfield presence this summer, and with Manuel Pellegrini’s budget slowly dwindling, a free deal like this would have been a huge boost. Instead one of their close rivals in the Premier League next year have strengthened in a key area, and the Irons will now have to look elsewhere as they attempt to provide support for Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate.
