Fabrizio Romano says West Ham United chiefs are now eyeing a Bundesliga starlet who’s a mainstay for his club, with the Hammers sending officials to run the rule over him ahead of a potential move.
West Ham held by Bournemouth after last minute Enes Unal equaliser
Under-fire boss Julen Lopetegui was mere minutes away from sealing a much-needed second Premier League win on the bounce and easing the continued pressure on his position, but Enes Unal’s dramatic late equaliser spoiled the party.
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West Ham now want to sign £120k-p/w defender ahead of Newcastle in January
He could be a vital upgrade for Julen Lopetegui’s side.
After much Bournemouth pressing in the second period, West Ham earned a penalty against the home side on 87 minutes, with Lucas Paqueta dispatching their spot-kick and gifting Lopetegui hope of another precious three points.
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West Ham’s most recent results |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Match |
Date |
Opponent |
Competition |
Result |
|
#18 |
16/12/2024 |
Bournemouth (A) |
Premier League |
1-1 |
|
#17 |
09/12/2024 |
Wolves (H) |
Premier League |
2-1 |
|
#16 |
03/12/2024 |
Leicester City (A) |
Premier League |
3-1 |
|
#15 |
30/11/2024 |
Arsenal (H) |
Premier League |
5-2 |
|
#14 |
26/11/2024 |
Newcastle United (A) |
Premier League |
2-0 win |
|
#13 |
09/11/2024 |
Everton (H) |
Premier League |
0-0 draw |
|
#12 |
02/11/2024 |
Nottingham Forest (A) |
Premier League |
3-0 loss |
|
#11 |
27/10/2024 |
Man United (H) |
Premier League |
2-1 win |
|
#10 |
19/10/2024 |
Tottenham (A) |
Premier League |
4-1 loss |
However, their joy was short-lived, with Unal burying a spectacular equaliser just minutes later as both sides shared the spoils. Despite the disappointment of failing to nick a dramatic win, Lopetegui did manage to find the positives, with West Ham now also seven points clear of the drop.
“We were very close to winning against a very good team,” said Lopetegui on West Ham’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.
“That is why you are very close there is frustration to lose these two points. But there are positives against a very demanding team in Bournemouth. We deserved to score. In the second half we knew they were going to push more and they did. I prefer to be positive and look forward.
“I want to highlight the behaviour of the group. All the players want to work very hard to do their best for the team. This is the first step to be strong and a better team. We are going to keep this positive mentality.”
West Ham eyeing SC Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu
In the background, technical director Tim Steidten and co are thinking about the long-term, with current number one West Ham shot-stopper Lukasz Fabianski out of contract at the end of this season.
The former Poland international put in an excellent display against Bournemouth and his presence as a long-serving veteran will be hard to replace.
However, West Ham are putting plans in place for that very scenario. Indeed, reliable transfer reporter Romano writes on X this afternoon that West Ham have their eyes on SC Freiburg ace Noah Atubolu.
They’re currently scouting the 22-year-old ahead of a potential move, with the German becoming a real mainstay between the sticks for Freiburg despite his very young age for a goalkeeper.
Transfermarkt value the 6 foot 2 ace at around £8 million, but it remains to be seen what Freiburg will officially demand for his services.
