West Ham United will reportedly face stiff competition from La Liga giants Sevilla and Real Betis in the race to sign Gerard Deulofeu.
According to Messaggero Veneto, La Liga giants Sevilla and Real Betis could reportedly go head-to-head with West Ham United in the race to sign Gerard Deulofeu, valued at around €20 million by Serie A outfit Udinese.
Formerly of Barcelona and AC Milan, the 28-year-old Spanish winger joined Udinese in 2020 from sister-club Watford following the Hornets’ relegation from the Premier League. After a relatively slow start to his Udinese career, he has finally sparked into life this term and proven his worth as a productive winger over in Italy.
The Spanish attacker is performing well for Gabriele Cioffi’s side in Udine, scoring nine goals and providing two assists in 26 Serie A appearances across all competitions and has consistently impressed with his exciting forward runs, set-piece ability and good dribbling skills.
Indeed, his strong season with Udinese has attracted the attention of several clubs across the continent, with the likes of West Ham United and Marseille expressing major interest in securing his services. However, the Udinese forward is also on the radar of other clubs, with La Liga giants Sevilla and Real Betis ready to offer the Spaniard a return to his native country.
Sevilla’s under-performing attacking contingent is one reason for their flailing La Liga title bid and an early Europa League ouster this term. They look unlikely to make Anthony Martial’s loan deal a permanent one this summer, given the Manchester United forward’s exorbitant wages and inconsistent displays with the Andalusian club so far.
Hence, the Seville-based outfit could look to add to their attack at the end of the season. To that end, a winger of Deulofeu’s skill set seems to be an ideal candidate, who can cause plenty of problems for the opposition using his clever runs from out-wide.
As for Real Betis, they will look to keep on building under head coach Manuel Pellegrini by making some astute additions ahead of next season. Deulofeu fits the bill, given his ability on the ball, which suits Pellegrini’s highly-attacking system.
West Ham, meanwhile, have also been heavily linked with the Udinese attacker and are keen to provide him with a route back to England and the Premier League in the summer. The Hammers’ interest in the Spanish attacker stems from the lack of a genuine left-winger and a back-up striker for Michail Antonio on their roster.
Signing someone of Deulofeu’s qualities would be killing two birds with one shot. The La Masia graduate has spent a large chunk of the season playing through the middle of Udinese’s attack, while his versatility means he can operate comfortably anywhere across the front line.
Boasting previous experience from spells with Watford and Everton, he would have no problems adapting to the rigours of Premier League. Moreover, Deulofeu has the ability to strike the ball with power, precision and finesse and can be a consistent attacking threat from the flanks.
The 28-year-old is contracted at Udinese until 2024, and the Serie A club is demanding a decent fee of around €20 million for their prised asset. Whether any of West Ham, Sevilla and Real Betis bid to secure the services of Spanish attacker remains to be seen.
