Premier League

West Ham have “stepped forward” ahead of potential move for “Messi-esque” ace

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West Ham have reportedly “stepped forward” to sign Juventus attacking midfielder Matias Soule this summer, with the Serie A giants willing to sell him.

The Julen Lopetegui era at the Hammers has already got off to a promising start when it comes to new signings, with Max Kilman and Luis Guilherme already coming in, among others.

The duo have arrived from Wolves and Palmeiras respectively, looking to add quality to West Ham’s defence and midfield, but the hope is that further big-money signings will also happen soon.

It looks as though one target is Soule, with Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness] claiming that the east Londoners have “stepped forward” in the race to sign Soule before the start of next season.

The 21-year-old is described in the report as the “goose that lays the golden eggs”, in terms of being able to generate funds for Juventus to spend on fresh faces this summer.

The club’s technical director Cristiano Giuntoli is believed to value Soule at €40m (£33.5m), with Leicester City already seeing two bids rejected for less than that amount, and Roma are also mentioned as potential suitors.

Soule could be such an eye-catching signing by West Ham in the current transfer window, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig describing him as “Messi-esque” in style, which is about the highest compliment you can pay any footballer. Meanwhile, former Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri once said of him:

“He can play as a forward, or enter the pitch as a winger. He has quality and quantity. I’m happy with how he’s developing. As I always say, everyone is growing and young players need to be given time to develop, both technically and physically.”

Soule is the type of player who West Ham supporters could adore, given his creativity and talent, with 11 goals in Serie A last season highlighting the substance that he has in his game at such a young age.

Considering he is only 21, the Argentine should also only develop more over a long period of time, and Lopetegui could feel that he can turn him into an elite player as the years pass.

The fact that Juve are happy to move Soule on acts as a bonus for West Ham, and they should do all they can to snap him up over other clubs this summer.

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