West Ham United are reportedly the front-runners in pursuit of former Everton midfielder Nikola Vlasic, valued at around €30 million by CSKA Moscow.
According to Italian journalist Daniele Longo, West Ham United appear to have stepped up their efforts to sign Nikola Vlasic before the summer transfer window slams shut. The Hammers are in pole position to sign the former Everton midfielder, who is valued at around €30 million by CSKA Moscow.
Nikola Vlasic has resurrected a stuttering career since joining CSKA Moscow from Everton. Initially signed on loan by the Russian giants, the player made his way to VEB Arena permanently a year later. To date, the 23-year-old has made 107 appearances for CSKA Moscow while chipping in with 33 goals and 21 assists in the process.
At the same time, Vlasic has also become a regular feature for the Croatian national side, with his exploits for club and country also attracting a number of clubs across Europe. As things stand, though, West Ham United are actively pressing to secure the services of Vlasic this summer.
West Ham have been awfully quiet in the summer transfer window, having hardly made an quality addition to their squad, as far as the long-term future is concerned. Attack is one of the priorities for the Hammers, who have been heavily linked with Gaetan Laborde.
However, in addition to a striker, West Ham are also eager to land an attacking midfielder, seeing as they are yet to replace Jesse Lingard in the squad. The Manchester United midfielder is a target for the east Londoners, but the English international appears to stay put at Old Trafford.
As a result, West Ham have had to identify potential alternatives for Lingard, with Vlasic emerging as a viable target. And it looks like the Premier League outfit have moved quickly in pursuit of the former Everton midfielder, with Daniele Longo claiming that they are leading the race to sign the Croat, who is valued at around €30 million by CSKA Moscow.
What now remains to be seen is if the frugal Hammers are open to forking out the required €30 million sum to land Vlasic or if they look to drive the valuation down. For now, it looks like West Ham are the front-runners in pursuit of the Croat, who could be on his way to the London Stadium soon.
