West Ham seal highly unusual transfer, but second deal suffers total collapse

West Ham United are poised to let Kurt Zouma leave for Dubai-based club Shabab Al-Ahli on a free transfer – despite the defender still having a year left to run on his contract.

Zouma‘s impending departure comes after TEAMtalk exclusively revealed on Thursday that West Ham’s proposed deal for Man Utd full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka is off.

Zouma had become a mainstay of the West Ham side since arriving from Chelsea in a £29.8million deal in the summer of 2021, lifting the Europa Conference League in 2023 as the club secured their first major trophy in 43 years and being named as club captain at the start of last season following Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal.

With Julen Lopetegui reshaping the West Ham squad after replacing Moyes over the summer, however, Zouma’s time at the London Stadium is nearing its end.

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Multiple reliable reports have confirmed that West Ham have reached an agreement with Shabab Al-Ahli for the permanent departure of Zouma, who is to undergo a medical before finalising his switch to the UAE Pro League on a free transfer.

With his current West Ham contract due to expire next summer, Zouma would have been available for a free transfer next summer had he seen out the remainder of his deal.

However, getting the defender off the books now helps ease pressure on West Ham’s wage budget after the club completed their sixth signing of the summer with the arrival of Argentina midfielder Guido Rodriguez on Tuesday.

The prospect of shedding Zouma’s considerable salary one year ahead of schedule is understood to have been the difference maker in West Ham accepting the free transfer.

Rodriguez lifts lid on Lopetegui appeal

Rodriguez, who arrives on a free transfer from Spanish outfit Real Betis, is the latest addition to Lopetegui’s new-look West Ham squad following the signings of Luis Guilherme (£25.5m), Wes Foderingham (free), Max Kilman (£40m), Crysencio Summerville (£25m) and German international forward Niclas Fullkrug (£27m).

Speaking to club media following his arrival, Rodriguez revealed that the appeal of working with former Spain and Real Madrid coach Lopetegui had convinced him to join West Ham.

He said: “I was able to speak to him a little. We still haven’t seen each other here but I think he’s a great manager.

“He makes teams very competitive and that is the most important thing. That’s what we need this season in the Premier League, we need to compete.

“Of course it gives me hope. I’m looking forward to performing well. I’ve been told he has an ambitious project, I know his teams are always looking to win.

“West Ham is a historic club in the Premier League and one that won a European tournament not so long ago.

“It’s important that the club continues to grow and hopefully this year we can keep on growing. That’s the most important thing.”

Exclusive: Wan-Bissaka to West Ham OFF

One player who will not be joining Lopetegui’s West Ham revolution, however, is Wan-Bissaka, with TEAMtalk breaking the news on Thursday that the Man Utd defender’s proposed move to the London Stadium has fallen through.

A deal appeared to be close to being struck after crunch talks between West Ham and Man Utd last weekend resulted in an agreement in principle being reached.

But Wan-Bissaka will not become a West Ham player, with the 26-year-old’s wage demands thought to be a key obstacle to the deal.

Wan-Bissaka’s decision to turn down West Ham could have significant ramifications for Man Utd, who had agreed personal terms with Bayern Munich full-back Noussair Mazraoui in the expectation that Wan-Bissaka would be moving on.

An alternative solution involving a swap deal between Wan-Bissaka and Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries, now appears to be on the table.

Dumfries, whose current contract is due to expire next summer, has postponed contract talks with Inter Milan until after the close of the transfer window, with the Dutch defender believed to be keen on the prospect of a move to Man Utd.

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