Despite a dreadful start, West Ham United managed to uplift their display and claim a top-half Premier League finish under Manuel Pellegrini. The East London outfit are now aiming for a place in Europe, and therefore, are exploring the options available in the transfer market to bolster the squad furthermore.
According to Spanish outlet Marca, the Hammers have joined the queue to rope in the in-demand Eibar midfielder Joan Jordan. They, however, are expecting stiff competition from Arsenal as well as a host of La Liga outfits including Sevilla, Valencia and Villarreal. Although the Andalusian side is leading the race, West Ham have submitted a concrete offer and are in pole position if the Spaniard decides to ply his trade to England.
Jordan has one year left in his contract with the Basque outfit and is valued at around £13.25m which is potentially his buyout clause. But the club might drop the price tag to make some profit rather than losing him for free next year.
The 24-year-old midfield ace joined Eibar from Espanyol a couple of summers back. He soon registered a regular role in the middle of the park and impressed with his maturity as well as the ability to orchestrate the tempo from a central role despite being in his mid-twenties. His excellence did not go unnoticed as the clubs are now battling it out to secure his services during this ongoing summer transfer window.
West Ham, meanwhile, have tied down veteran custodian Roberto on a Bosman transfer (from Espanyol) and are after Alaves centre-back Guillermo Maripan. This suggests Pellegrini’s interest in the La Liga market having enjoyed his time with Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga. The Chilean has his contacts in Spain and would try his best to lure in Jordan despite certain constraints.
The Irons have an array of options which could be deployed centrally. Young Declan Rice has to be the most exciting prospect progressed through the academy ranks of the Stratford-based outfit whereas the experience of Mark Noble, Pedro Obiang, Carlos Sánchez and Jack Wilshere injects perfect balance in midfield.
Yet the Hammers lacked the creative spark following Wilshere’s injury woe and the inclusion of Joan Jordan should bring in what the gaffer has been looking for. The player is regarded for his directness, down the middle runs, dribbling, shooting and set-piece attributes whereas his vision, through balls and the aptness in playing the ball off the ground should make him a proper fit to succeed in English football.
