West Ham United are interested in signing Bologna midfielder Jerdy Schouten and will hold talks with the Serie A club’s director over a possible transfer.
According to CalcioNapoli24, West Ham United are plotting a summer raid on Bologna for the signing of Dutch midfielder Jerdy Schouten. The Hammers are set to hold negotiations over a move for the 25-year-old when the Serie A outfit’s director Riccardo Bigon will visit London this week, as he plans to meet several English clubs to learn about their interest in Bologna players.
Schouten came through the ranks at ADO Den Haag in the Netherlands and had stints at Telstar and Excelsior before arriving at Bologna in 2019. Since signing for the Italian club, the defensive midfielder has been a regular presence in the side and has made 71 appearances so far, in which he has two goals and three assists.
Schouten missed a good chunk of the first half of the 2021/22 campaign due to an injury. But he has been an ever-present figure since his return in February. While he has a contract with Bologna until 2024, the 25-year-old could be on the move this summer amidst interest from within Italy and outside.
Serie A champions Inter Milan have shown an interest in Schouten, as have Napoli, with West Ham United also joining the bandwagon of suitors of the Dutch midfielder ahead of the summer transfer window.
West Ham United need reinforcements in the middle of the park as captain Mark Noble will be retiring at the end of the season. Furthermore, the east London outfit are unlikely to sign Alex Kral on a permanent deal after his disappointing loan spell. It would leave David Moyes with just Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek as frontline options in the centre of the park.
So, West Ham United will need to sign at least one midfielder in the summer to bolster their squad ahead of another campaign during which they will likely be involved in European football. Furthermore, question marks continue to linger over the future of Declan Rice, who has rejected another contract proposal from the club.
So, It has led to links with several options such as Burnley’s Josh Brownhill and Thiago Mendes of Olympique Lyon, among others. Schouten, too, has now emerged as a potential target for West Ham United. They will now hold talks with Bologna director Riccardo Bigon during his London trip to explore the possibility of a summer move.
It remains to be seen if West Ham United decide to press ahead with their interest in Schouten or look at other alternatives, as they look to strengthen their squad before next term.
