West Ham United have already made an attempt to sign Joao Mario on a permanent transfer. However, their first bid has been rejected by Inter Milan, who value the attacking midfielder significantly higher than what was offered by the Hammers. According to recent reports, the East London outfit has tabled an offer in the region of £12m which was rejected by the Nerazzurri as they deemed it too low.
The Hammers signed Mario during the January transfer window on a loan deal from Inter Milan for the remainder of the campaign. They also had to cough up a loan fee believed to be around €1.2m. The Portuguese midfielder has put in some solid displays under David Moyes this season which has impressed the West Ham chiefs and now, the club is looking to retain his services beyond this season. The 25-year-old has featured in 6 matches for David Moyes’s side this term and has an assist to his name across all competitions.
Some sources have recently claimed that the negotiations are still open between the two clubs with the hope that an agreement can be reached soon. However, if the East London club fails to secure the services of Mario next summer, let’s take a look at three potential replacements for the Hammers to consider ahead of the new campaign.
Leander Dendoncker
The 22-year-old midfielder is currently plying his trade at RSC Anderlecht and has put in some strong displays for the Belgian giants during this season. He has made 35 appearances for Anderlecht this season across all competitions and has an assist to his name. Dendoncker has immense potential and could turn out to be an ideal asset under David Moyes if given the chance to make a switch to the London Stadium. He is highly versatile and can operate in a number of different positions in central midfield as well as in central defence, which makes him a perfect fit to ply his trade at the East London club in the near future.
Denis Zakaria
The 21-year-old midfielder has been terrific for Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach this season. He is highly versatile and can operate in a number of different positions across the midfield and defence. He can play as a defensive midfielder or in a more advanced role at the centre of the park. The Switzerland international can also operate as a centreback in defence which makes him an ideal asset for any squad. The Hammers will do well to prise him away from Germany as he can turn out to be a future superstar if given a nurturing environment to shine and display his talents.
Rodrigo Hernández
The 21-year-old has been in sensational form for Villarreal this season and has put in some eye-catching displays in the La Liga helping his side climb to 5th place in the league standings. The Spanish midfielder has made 38 appearances for the Yellow Submarine and has scored one goal and provided one assist in all competitions. He is one of the leading defensive midfielders in Spanish football and would be a good fit under David Moyes at the London Stadium.
