Although West Ham once looked determined to sign a free agent this Summer, it seems like Julen Lopetegui has got his squad finalised for now. Many assumed that it would be either a centre-back or a striker that the Hammers tried to bring in, with the likes of John Egan and Depay both being linked with a move to the London Stadium.
However, it has been reported that they could have actually signed an unbelievable midfielder instead of Carlos Soler.
French media outlet L’Equipe claims that the Hammers were very keen on signing Adrian Rabiot before his move to Marseille was completed.
The Frenchman has been vital to Juventus over the past 5 campaigns, and it was a bit of surprise to see him allowed to leave for free, especially considering he’s only 29-years-old.
Across 157 Serie A games, he managed to contribute directly to just 29 goals, showing he’s a completely different player to Soler.
Many top clubs showed interest in the midfielder, including the likes of Manchester United, but his high wage demands put most potential suitors off. If he had been open to a move to West Ham, it would have been extremely difficult to agree a wage package, and he likely would have upset the balance of the squad. Rodriguez was signed for free much earlier in the window and you can only assume they’d be competing for the position. The only way that the move would have worked out really is if another midfielder had left on deadline day.
