West Ham United midfielder Edimilson Fernandes is now expected to return to east London for pre season this summer, according to Football London.
The outlet claims that, despite enjoying a fine season on loan at Italian side Fiorentina, the 6ft 2in Swiss international [Source: Transfermarkt] will most likely still be a Hammers player next season.
That would complete a remarkable u-turn for the 23-year-old, after Claret & Hugh reported earlier this month that it was a near certainty that the Serie A side would trigger the permanent option in Fernandes’s loan deal.
However, with the £8million option still untouched, it’s expected that West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini will run the rule over the player this summer.
OPINION
Well, this isn’t what we all thought was going to happen with Fernandes, is it? The understanding seemed to be that the Swiss star would have his option triggered by Fiorentina and would continue his promising career in Florence. However, there now appears to be a very good chance that he returns to West Ham as a first team player next season. To be honest, that’s not a bad thing at all. Pellegrini has struggled to find an effective combination in central midfield at times this campaign, and captain Mark Noble certainly isn’t going to be around forever. So perhaps Fernandes could be a potential solution alongside Declan Rice next time out. It’s certainly worth pairing the two of them together in pre season and seeing if they work well together. Fernandes is a strong, box-to-box midfielder who would contribute both offensively and defensively. It seems like the perfect time to see what he can do over the summer.
