West Ham United have reportedly entered the race to sign Hungarian defender Attila Szalai from Fenerbahce this summer.
According to Turkish outlet Yenisafak, West Ham United are considering launching a summer move to sign Hungarian centre-half Attila Szalai from Fenerbahce in the ongoing transfer window.
West Ham United have made some interesting moves this summer, including signing Nayef Aguerd to strengthen their backline. However, the Moroccan international suffered an ankle injury in pre-season, which has ruled him out of action, potentially until November later this year. And with Issa Diop set to join Fulham on a permanent transfer, the Hammers will be light in the centre-back department.
Hence, the east London club are looking at several options in the market to reinforce their rearguard further. And as per the report, Attila Szalai of Fenerbahce has emerged as a transfer target for David Moyes & co.
Szalai joined the Turkish giants from Apollon Limassol in the January transfer window last year and has since become a mainstay at the heart of the defence. He has made 66 appearances for Fenerbahce, scoring five goals and setting up two more. The imposing centre-half also has 27 caps for the Hungarian national team.
The 24-year-old Szalai has earned a reputation for his no-nonsense style of defending, while he also has the physical attributes which could help him succeed in the Premier League. He had been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea ahead of the January transfer window earlier this year but nothing came of it. However, he could still end up making his way to London, with West Ham now pursuing his services.
As per the report, West Ham United are not the only team interested in signing Szalai, with clubs like Bologna and Wolfsburg also keen on the 24-year-old. It is even claimed that the latter two teams have already had bids worth €9 million rejected for the Hungarian centre-half. Fenerbahce are said to be demanding a sum of €15 million for the defender, who still has three years left on his contract.
The transfer fee should not be an issue for West Ham, and Szalai has the skillset to become a key member of Moyes’ setup. However, it will be interesting to see if they decide to go after the 24-year-old with greater intent or decide to pursue alternate targets.
