According to The Sun, West Ham are considering a late bid to hijack Napoli’s deal for Celta Vigo star Stanislav Lobotka.
Lobotka, 25, signed for Celta Vigo from FC Nordsjaelland in 2017 and firmly planted himself in one of Europe’s top five leagues. He has been a revelation since his arrival in Spain despite the Galician side performing poorly.
His bright displays have also caught the eyes of north London club Arsenal and Italian outfit Napoli are considering a deal for him as early as possible, according to the report. He was linked with a move to San Paolo stadium constantly after a recommendation from fellow Slovakian and Napoli legend Marek Hamsik.
Meanwhile, West Ham are in deep trouble after losing 9 of their last 12 games under Manuel Pellegrini. And as a result, the Chilean was sacked from his position by the Hammers two hours post the 2-1 defeat at the hands of Leicester City, according to BBC.
The latest defeat on Saturday has left them 17th in the league standings, just one point above the relegation zone. Despite being 5th after matchday seven earlier this season, they have slipped to the bottom with inconsistent performances.
Their star players have been injured for most of the season and they have found it difficult to keep their opponents in check. It has been evident that the London-based club lack proper back-up.
Manuel Lanzini fractured his collar bone in the fixture against Burnley and Lukasz Fabianski just returned to the squad after a long lay off. Jack Wilshere has missed more than half of the games.
These injuries deprived Pellegrini of the right options and he had to make a lot of changes, which didn’t go according to plan. And the season got out of his hands before it even reached the mid-way stage.
With the hunt on for a new manager, West Ham must address the area of concern at the earliest and that would be the defensive midfield. Declan Rice has played in every game so far without any back-up. Carlos Sanchez has been out of favour under the Chilean and is also at the twilight of his career. And this void would turn out to be costly for the team.
In that regard, Stanislav Lobotka could be the solution to their midfield issues. His addition to the squad would definitely be a surplus for the team, given his abilities.
The Slovakia international is capable of playing anywhere in the midfield, despite showing his qualities while sitting deep in the centre. His capacity to control and understand the game has undoubtedly been a stand-out feature of his time with Celta.
He could turn out to be a crucial player for West Ham alongside Declan Rice and Robert Snodgrass.
The 25-year-old is valued £28m by his side and this must not come as a hindrance for the Hammers.
Therefore, West Ham must go all out for Lobotka in January and must take pole position in the race to secure his services ahead of Arsenal and Napoli, who are also admiring him, according to the report.
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