West Ham United have ended their pursuit of New York Red Bull’s defender Aaron Long, according to ExWHUemployee.
The reliable club source revealed on Tuesday evening that after the confirmed arrival of 18-year-old enforcer Goncalo Cardoso, the Hammers hold no interest in the American international.
ExWHUemployee put an end to West Ham’s interest in Long, replying to a fan on his personal Twitter account simply saying no.
West Ham were struggling to earn a work permit for Long, with Sky Sports reporting that the 26-year-old was still hopeful of receiving a permit needed for a move to the London Stadium, despite needing one more international cap.
OPINION
The signing of Cardoso appears to have put an abrupt end to West Ham’s pursuit of the MLS defender of the year for 2018. Long would have been a smart addition, but you get the feeling that the singing of the Portuguese youngster could lead to better results in the future. The 18-year-old was reported by Daily Mail to have been pursued by clubs such as Lazio and Inter Milan, and the Hammers were the club who managed to secure his services to a five-year-deal. There was no chance that Long’s current work permit issues could have been resolved by Thursday’s deadline no matter how much hope he had, and West Ham have definitely made the right decision to end their pursuit for the New York Red Bull’s man. With Cardoso being reported by Football London to be the fourth choice centre back at the London Stadium there is definitely no place for Long, who will have to wait for a move to the Premier League.
