West Ham warned off deadline day target due to one key reason

Zaidu Sanusi battles Reece James during Porto vs Chelsea UCL

West Ham had a successful transfer deadline day, bringing in two first-team players, but reports suggest they failed in their pursuit of a Porto star.

David Moyes bolstered his squad with the arrivals of Nikola Vlasic and Alex Kral, signed from CSKA Moscow and Spartak Moscow respectively. Vlasic has returned to the Premier League for a €30million (£25.7m) fee, while Kral has joined the Hammers on loan with the option to buy.

They will help West Ham during a busy campaign which will feature Europa League football for the first time in four years.

According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo (via Sport Witness), the east London side were also interested in signing Porto’s Zaidu Sanusi.

He is a 24-year-old left-back who can also operate in the heart of defence, if required. He represents Nigeria at international level and has been capped three times.

The report claims that West Ham were considering a move late into the day, but were ultimately put off by the potential cost.

Porto’s asking price isn’t revealed, although Sanusi’s release clause is rumoured to be €50m.

West Ham chiefs decided not to risk a big-money move and ended contact with Porto as a result.

Zaidu Sanusi West Ham Porto

Sanusi is contracted with the Portuguese giants until June 2025 and will likely stay there, unless a West Ham bid can be afforded in January.

The Hammers spent upwards of £65.5m during the transfer window, so it’s understandable that they didn’t want to break their budget.

Moyes can already utilise Aaron Creswell and Arthur Masuaku at left-back. His centre-half options have been improved by the signing of Kurt Zouma from Chelsea.

West Ham offered Lingard hope

The Evening Standard give West Ham fans some cause for optimism in their latest Jesse Lingard update.

Despite being heavily linked with a permanent move, Lingard remained at Manchester United on deadline day.

It’s thought that his £30m price tag, plus high wage demands, put West Ham off.

But it has now been claimed that United could lower their valuation in January. Lingard’s current terms expire in June 2022, which means the Red Devils will need to sell this winter to avoid losing him for free.

That puts West Ham in a good position to land one of their most successful loanees.

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