West Ham United could reportedly make a move to sign soon-to-be free agent Adnan Januzaj, who is also a transfer target for Barcelona.
According to Spanish publication ElDesmarque, West Ham United have emerged as a possible destination for Real Sociedad winger Adnan Januzaj, who will be a free agent at the end of this month. The 27-year-old is also attracting interest from La Liga heavyweights Barcelona ahead of the summer transfer window.
Januzaj came through the youth ranks at Manchester United, where he received his breakthrough under current West Ham boss David Moyes during the 2013/14 campaign. The Belgian winger was one of the few positives of Moyes’s ill-fated reign at Old Trafford, but his progress stalled following the Scottish tactician’s departure.
After struggling to stay relevant under Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, Januzaj signed for Real Sociedad in the summer of 2017, following sub-par loan spells at Borussia Dortmund and Sunderland. The 27-year-old has managed to somewhat resurrect his career in Spain and enjoyed a decent stint with La Real.
In five seasons at the Basque outfit, Januzaj made 168 appearances, producing a return of 23 goals and 21 assists. However, he will be looking for a new club this summer as his contract with Real Sociedad expires on June 30. The club have confirmed that the Belgian international will leave the club as a free agent, with suitors lining up to sign him.
Barcelona have shown a surprise interest in Januzaj as they are on the lookout for a new winger to replace contract rebel Ousmane Dembele. The Catalan giants are prioritising a move for Leeds United star Raphinha as their primary target to fill the void left by Dembele’s impending departure. However, their financial situation is making things difficult to land the Brazilian.
So Barcelona are looking at cost-effective solutions, with Angel Di Maria and Januzaj, both of whom will be free agents this summer, emerging as potential alternatives. However, Barcelona might have to face competition from West Ham United in pursuit of the 27-year-old former Manchester United prodigy.
According to the report, West Ham could emerge as a destination for Januzaj, given the presence of David Moyes as manager. The Scotsman extracted the best out of the attacker during their short association in Manchester. And with Andriy Yarmolenko on his way out of the London Stadium, the Hammers could potentially decide to rope in the Belgian as a replacement, having shown an interest in him in the past.
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It will certainly be interesting to see if Januzaj reunites with Moyes and returns to the Premier League or ends up earning a shock move to Barcelona this summer.
