West Ham have had a second bid of £22.1 million rejected by Lyon for their defender Marcelo, according to Goal.
The football news site has reported that the Hammers have had yet another bid knocked back in their pursuit of the 6″3 (source: Transfermarkt) enforcer, after their initial offer of £15.1 million was rejected by the Ligue One outfit.
However, the Irons’ offer of a five-year contract and a yearly salary of around £2.7 million is thought to be a very attractive offer for the Brazilian to consider, meaning he may be tempted to make the move to the London Stadium.
OPINION
This second rejection by Lyon is bound to be a bitter blow for the Hammers. However, it remains to be seen where Marcelo would fit into the new look team, especially after boss Manuel Pellegrini brought in another central defender in the shape of Issa Diop. It looks evident that the French club are keen to hang on to one of their star players, and even a potential third bid made by the Hammers may not tempt them to part ways with the former Brazil under-20 international. Despite the knock back, the East London outfit should be enamoured by the fact Marcelo is tempted to make the move to England as he finds their offer very appealing, but should take this with a pinch of salt, as it may take a lot to convince Lyon to offload him to the Premier League. West Ham do not have enough time to be patient with this transfer saga, especially if Lyon want to be stubborn.
