OPINION
West Ham United have reportedly made one of the most surprising bids of the summer window so far after tabling an offer for Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb report that the Hammers have put themselves in pole position to sign the 24-year-old after approaching Los Blancos with an official proposal.
It is said that Napoli, Roma and Juventus are all in the hunt for the Croatia international, who is currently starring at the World Cup with his country having advanced to the quarter-finals.
Now, let’s get this straight. If the Hammers could pull this one off it would be the signing of the summer for any Premier League club.
The young Croatian pass master is one of Europe’s up-and-coming midfielders, and he is in position to take his game to another level in the coming years.
For a club like West Ham to secure such a talented player with such vast experience at the top level would be a massive coup, and one that would put the club on the map again in English football.
However, we must be realistic about the chances of the club pushing this one through. There is no chance Kovacic will come to the London Stadium this summer.
The 24-year-old wants first-team football, which the club can obviously offer him.
That however is just about all the Hammers can offer Kovacic, who will be awash with offers from some of the continent’s top clubs which will importantly have Champions League football up their sleeve.
Not only do the Hammers not have European football to offer, there is also little chance of them achieving a Champions League place next season, no matter the progress that may be made under Pellegrini.
The club’s pursuit of Kovacic shows ambition, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, ambition must be directed in the right places, and this is not an example of that being done.
Any further efforts to sign Kovacic will be a waste of valuable time, and the club must abandon their interest in the Croatia international as soon as possible.
