West Ham United join race to sign Mateo Retegui

West Ham United have reportedly entered the race to sign 23-year-old Italian international Mateo Retegui, valued at around €20 million.

According to Tuttosport via Sport Witness, West Ham United are interested in signing Mateo Retegui. The 23-year-old recently made his international debut for the Italian national team. And, he has since been the talk of the town. A lot of clubs across Europe have their eyes on him. They are likely to push for his signatures in the summer.

Retegui was called up to the Italian national squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers on the back of his club performances. He has since featured in two matches for the Azzurri and has found the back of the net on both occasions.

The 23-year-old joined the Boca Juniors youth academy back in 2016 from River Plate. He has gone up the ranks at the club and has been subject to multiple loan moves. He joined Tigre on loan back in February 2022 and has been on fire of late.

Retegui has featured in 51 matches for Tigre and has 32 goal contributions to his name. His loan move ends in December 2023, but the club do have the option to buy. Meanwhile, the Italian international has scored six goals in nine matches in the ongoing season. As a result, they are likely to trigger the buy option.

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But, given the amount of interest from top European clubs, he might end up playing his football in one of the top five leagues next season. As per the report, a figure of around €20 million might be enough to prise him away from the Argentine club.

Meanwhile, West Ham United are one of the clubs that are keen on the 23-year-old striker’s signatures. The London club have struggled in the ongoing season, and they are currently fighting for survival in the English top flight. If they manage to avoid relegation, they will push for reinforcement in the summer to revive themselves. And, Retegui is a key transfer target for them.

The Hammers are amongst the lowest-scoring clubs in the ongoing Premier League season with 24 goals to their name. They are in desperate need of a new number nine who can add goals. And, the Italian international has become a proven goal scorer of late. Meanwhile, West Ham have also shown interest in other strikers, including Viktor Gyokeres.

West Ham are all set to push for Retegui’s signatures and do have the financial power to get a €20 million deal done. However, they will face a lot of competition from clubs across Europe. As a result, it will be interesting to see if the Hammers can seal an agreement this summer.