Newcastle United have entered the race to sign Hoffenheim defender David Raum and will rival West Ham United for his signature.
According to German publication BILD, West Ham United have been joined by Newcastle United in the race to sign Hoffenheim left-back David Raum. Borussia Dortmund are also said to be interested in the defender, making it a three-way battle for his signing.
Raum joined Bundesliga side Hoffenheim just last season from Greuther Furth and settled in immediately. Starting 31 league matches for the club, the 24-year-old scored three goals and provided 13 assists, an output big enough to turn heads around Europe.
West Ham United were among the first Premier League clubs to register interest, along with Liverpool, with the Hammers eager to strengthen the left-back position ahead of the new season.
West Ham are set to play in the UEFA Europa Conference League and will need squad depth to maintain consistency throughout the campaign. David Moyes currently has the pair of Arthur Masuaku and Aaron Creswell as his two left-backs, with the former likely to be sold. And Raum would be seen as a replacement and an upgrade. But the London-based outfit will have to fend off interest from other clubs.
Newcastle have recently entered the fray for the Germany international. Eddie Howe’s side are eager to return to the upper echelons of the English top flight under new owners. The Magpies are set to undergo a major summer overhaul, and Raum could be a part of that.
They currently have Matt Ritchie and Paul Dummett as their two left-back options, although the former is not favoured by the manager while the latter’s injury record is a concern. Newcastle have signed Matt Targett on a permanent deal, but could still add further reinforcements in the position.
Dortmund, meanwhile, see Raum as an important signing for the long term, but they could struggle to match Hoffenheim’s asking price, who themselves are in no hurry to sell the defender.
As per the BILD report, the German full-back has a €30 million release clause in his contract, but that only gets activated next year. Moreover, he still has four years left on his contract with the Bundesliga side, who could get convinced for a €40 million transfer fee, which Dortmund can’t pay due to financial restraints.
This leaves the Premier League duo of Newcastle and West Ham as favourites to sign the defender. Manchester City have also been linked with Raum recently, and have enquired about a possible move. So, a move to England could certainly be on the cards for the German international this summer.
