Turkish journalist says 6’4 central defender is ‘certain’ to join West Ham

Originally posted on Caught Offside | By Ruairidh Barlow | Last updated 8/11/22

Central defender Issa Diop is barely out of the door at West Ham, but it appears they already have his replacement lined up. West Ham have suffered a number of injuries in central defence and Kurt Zouma is currently the only natural option there, but he may shortly be joined by Attila Szalai.

The 24-year-old Hungarian is a sizable presence at the back, currently playing his football in Turkey with Fenerbahce. After two seasons in Istanbul, Szalai has caught the eye of West Ham and could well be a cheap and cheerful solution for David Moyes. West Ham Zone reference a report from ExWHU Employee, which claims that Szalai would be allowed to leave for just £10m.

Turkish journalist Volkan Agir seems to think the matter is closed, tweeting out that it was a done deal.

Fenerbahçe'de Szalai'nin West Ham'a transferi kesin..

— Volkan A??r (@Volkan_Agir) August 9, 2022

“Fenerbahce’s transfer of Szalai to West Ham is certain…”, commented Asgir on Wednesday.

Now a regular with the Hungarian national side, Szalai was part of the team that thumped England 4-0 in the Nations League this summer. Given how comfortably Hungary handled a team made up of the Premier League’s finest forwards, it suggests Szalai can cope with the demands.

This article first appeared on Caught Offside and was syndicated with permission.

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