After a successful summer transfer window, West Ham will be hoping that their potential winter purchases have the same effect as the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Mohamed Kudus, Edson Alvarez and, to a slightly lesser extent, Konstantinos Mavropanos.
It isn’t clear if David Moyes will still be the West Ham manager after this season, so any new signings would surely be with the club’s managerial situation in mind.
One player that had been linked by the normally reliable UOL outlet is apparently nowhere close to signing for the Hammers.
Brazilian journalist, Fabio Aleixo, is apparently baffled by the report which says the east Londoners have tied up a £22m deal with Zenit St. Petersburg for 20-year-old Robert Renan.
“No. I don’t know where this rumour comes from,” Alexio said to RB Sport (h/t HITC).
“Internacional really wants Renan. Now, the task of the management of Internacional is to come to an agreement with Zenit. The situation is not very simple (but) everyone has already realised that (Zenit coach Sergei) Semak doesn’t really like the way Renan plays.”
Renan is an emerging centre-back but West Ham are well covered in that area.
Unless Moyes isn’t happy with Mavropanos’ performances or the club are thinking of cashing in on Nayef Aguerd, a move for a player untried in the English Premier League makes little sense.
There has to be a question mark of who is driving any transfer business too.
If Moyes is to go, then it would be likely that sporting director, Tim Steidten, is pulling the strings. That in itself would suggest that he will have a big say in any future managerial appointment.