Premier League side West Ham United have been handed a blow in their pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk pair David Neres and Lassina Traore.
According to The Sun, West Ham are eager to sign the Shakhtar Donetsk pair of David Neres and Lassina Traore until the end of the season. Ukrainian and Russian clubs have been given a special permit to allow their players to join other European clubs for the remainder of this term. Shakhtar, however, are reluctant to let the two join the Hammers, dealing David Moyes’ side a blow in their pursuit.
Both Neres and Traore joined the Ukrainian giants from Ajax. The latter joined Shakhtar in the 2021 summer transfer window in a £9 million move. He has been quite impactful in his so-far short stint with the club, scoring nine goals in 14 matches this season.
Neres, on the other hand, moved this January for a reported £11 million fee. But he is yet to make an appearance for the club since the Russian invasion of Ukraine happened immediately after, stopping all football activities in the country. He could thus be eager to join a new club for the remainder of the season.
The duo has attracted interest from quite a few clubs. The likes of West Ham, Lyon, Marseille, Real Sociedad and Corinthians have all shown interest in signing the players.
West Ham are still in the hunt for a top-six finish in the Premier League while they have also advanced to the quarter-final of the UEFA Europa League. So, it would make sense for Moyes’ side to look to add depth to their attacking unit with the signings of Traore and Neres, after having failed to do so in the January transfer window.
However, the Hammers aren’t likely to complete their signings. The aforementioned report claims that Shakhtar Donetsk do not want their players to join the east London outfit. They believe that the duo may not receive ample game time at the Premier League club, which could hamper their growth and reduce their market value.
As a result, West Ham might have to do without the addition of the two Shakhtar players. Moyes’s men are currently seventh in the Premier League table with 48 points in 30 matches, just six points behind fourth-placed Arsenal. The Hammers will want to continue performing in a similar vein and hope that this transfer blow doesn’t affect their season.
West Ham are also looking to sign former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren in the emergency window and have offered him a two-year contract. They will be hoping to fare better in pursuit of the veteran defender.
