West Ham United are interested in a deal to carry Julian Weigl to the London Stadium this summer season.
What’s the speak?
That’s in response to a report by Portuguese publication Record (by way of Sport Witness), who declare that Rob Newman has made contact with Benfica relating to a possible transfer for the defensive midfielder, with the West Ham head of recruitment believed to have been knowledgeable that the Germany worldwide will value round €20m (£17m) together with add-ons.
The report goes on to state that the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Monchengladbach, Hertha Berlin, AC Milan and Atalanta BC have additionally made an enquiry with the Liga Portugal facet relating to the 26-year-old, though Weigl’s £49k-per-week wage is claimed to be the explanation no golf equipment have submitted an official bid for the participant as but.
Dream Onana different
While one other of West Ham’s reported defensive midfield targets, LOSC Lille expertise Amadou Onana, is undoubtedly a particularly thrilling prospect, contemplating that the Ligue 1 facet are demanding a determine of round €40m (£34m) to half with the Belgium worldwide this summer season, Weigl might nicely be West Ham’s dream different to the 20-year-old.
Indeed, the £19.8m-rated German was in exceptional type over his 29 Liga Portugal appearances final day trip, scoring two targets, registering three assists and creating three huge possibilities for his teammates, in addition to taking a median of 0.7 pictures, making 0.6 key passes and finishing 0.7 dribbles per sport.
The former Borussia Dortmund starlet who Marc Bartra claimed is “very similar to Busquets” additionally impressed in metrics extra typical of his place, making a median of two.0 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 57.4 passes – at a hit charge of 91% – 4.3 lengthy balls and profitable 4.9 duels – at a hit charge of 57% – per fixture.
These returns noticed the 26-year-old common a particularly spectacular SofaScore match ranking of 7.06, rating him as Roger Schmidt’s 14th-best performer in the highest flight of Portuguese soccer final day trip.
For comparability, whereas Onana may be very a lot in the infancy of his skilled profession, Weigl bested the £9m-rated expertise in virtually each metric, with the 20-year-old scoring one purpose and creating three huge possibilities over his 32 Ligue 1 appearances in 2021/22, in addition to making a median of 1.5 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and profitable 3.4 duels – at a hit charge of 54% – per sport.
These metrics noticed the £5.5k-per-week midfielder common a really admirable SofaScore match ranking of 6.85, rating him as Lille’s joint ninth-best participant in the highest flight of French soccer final season.
As such, whereas it might seem extraordinarily possible that Onana will go on to get pleasure from a incredible profession, contemplating the truth that Weigl will value half the worth of the Belgian this summer season, in addition to the German having performed virtually 5 instances the quantity {of professional} video games because the teenager – 322 to 67 – ought to Newman fail in his pursuit of the 20-year-old, the Benfica centrocampista would look like one thing of a dream different for the Hammers.