News Beat
West Ham landing Adama Traore for tiny transfer fee after Fulham drop asking price by more than 70 PER CENT
ADAMA TRAORE is finally on his way to West Ham United and a reunion with former boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
And The Hammers are getting the powerful Spanish winger for just £2 million after Fulham dropped their initial asking price by more than 70 percent.
Fulham were demanding £7 million for Traore, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
But once fellow wide-man Samuel Chukwueze returned safely from the Africa Cup Of Nations following Nigeria’s third place finish, it paved the way for a deal to be done.
SunSport revealed exclusively on December 27 that the 24-team tournament hosted by Morocco would hold up the transfer.
Traore, 30, previously played for Nuno between 2018 and 2021 and remains a firm favourite with the current Hammers chief.
The player is already on his way to West Ham’s training ground for a medical and could be involved in the team as early as this Saturday’s tea-time Premier League clash at Chelsea.
Fulham now believe that the capture of Traore will leave them clear in the pursuit of USA striker Ricardo Pepi and they are only around £2m short of PSV Eindhoven’s £30m valuation of their player.
Traore operates predominantly on the right wing which is occupied by West Ham skipper Jarrod Bowen – but he can also switch to the left flank.
That will put him in direct competition with in-form Crysencio Summerville who has scored three goals in the past three games.
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But boss Nuno also likes to shuffle his forward line and Bowen has played as a so-called ‘false nine’.
West Ham have been pursuing Traore for weeks and the two clubs first held informal discussions about a potential transfer when Fulham beat their struggling London rivals 1-0 at London Stadium just after Christmas.
But after weeks of delay caused by AFCON and failure to agree a fee, West Ham have got their man.
Traore becomes Nuno’s third signing of the January transfer window following the arrival of forwards Pablo Felipe and striker Taty Castellanos.
West Ham sit 18th in the Premier League table and five points behind fourth-from-bottom Nottingham Forest with an inferior goal difference.
They have also allowed midfielder Guido Rodriguez to leave the club for Spaniards Valencia after both parties agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent.
