Turkish heavyweights Besiktas are expecting West Ham United to make an official bid for midfielder Gary Medel imminently, according to Fanatik.
The Turkish outlet claims that due to the financial crisis within the Istanbul club, they are anticipating the Hammers will come in for the Chilean in the near future.
Besiktas are thought to be open to selling the versatile 31-year-old. Manuel Pellegrini’s side have been chasing the former Cardiff City man for months, with Sky Sports reporting as far back as December that they were interested in Medel’s services.
OPINION
This is a West Ham transfer story that simply refuses to go away. Medel has always seemed like a slightly strange addition for the Hammers; a player who is probably past his best and didn’t exactly adapt successfully to the Premier League when he was with the Bluebirds. However, it’s starting to make a lot more sense than it did when Sky Sports first reported the interest in December. West Ham are, by all accounts, set to conclude a deal for Villarreal playmaker Pablo Fornals imminently. That wouldn’t leave director of football Mario Husillos with much money to spend on a defensive midfielder – something that the Hammers desperately need. With that said, Medel would be immensely attractive to him as a low-cost, experienced player who can come in and supplement Declan Rice, Mark Noble and Jack Wilshere in central midfield. At 31 years of age he wouldn’t be the most costly signing anyway, but with Besiktas in financial trouble Husillos should be able to secure a cut-price deal for the Chilean this summer.
