West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Hirving Lozano to the London Stadium in the summer transfer window.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Area Napoli (via Sport Witness), who claim that both West Ham and Crystal Palace have entered into talks with Napoli regarding a move for the winger. Aurelio De Laurentiis is believed to have informed the Premier League duo that he would willing to part with the Mexico international for a figure in the region of €30m (£25m) this summer.
However, the report goes on to state that neither the Hammers nor the Eagles are likely to make an offer above €20m (£17m) for the 26-year-old, although it is suggested that, with the forward’s new agency firm believed to have a good relationship with both English clubs, a deal could yet be struck over the remaining weeks of the summer transfer market.
“Huge signing”
It is true that, following his €40m (£36m) move to Italy in August 2019, Lozano got off to something of a slow start for Napoli, starting just 10 Serie A fixtures throughout his debut campaign. However, in the two years since, the 26-year-old has burst into life at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Indeed, over his 32 Serie A appearances in 2020/21, the £27m-rated forward was in breathtaking form for Gli Azzurri, scoring 11 goals, registering four assists and creating 10 big chances for his team-mates, as well as taking 1.8 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 0.9 dribbles per game.
These returns saw the £112k-per-week talent average a sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.04, ranking him as Napoli’s seventh-best player in the top flight of Italian football that season.
The 52-cap international continued this remarkable form over his 30 league fixtures last time out, bagging five goals, providing six assists and creating three big chances for his team-mates, in addition to taking 1.7 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing one dribble per game.
These metrics saw the player who was labelled a “huge signing” for Napoli, and who Bolarinwa Olajide dubbed a “sensation“, average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as Luciano Spalletti’s 12th-best player in the league last season.
As such, should Newman be able to get a deal over the line for the Mexican sensation this summer, it is clear that Lozano would very much be a huge signing for the Hammers – especially if West Ham’s head of recruitment can manage to persuade De Laurentiis into accepting an offer around the £17m mark for the former PSV Eindhoven starlet.
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