West Ham set asking price after Saudi Pro League plots third transfer raid, with new talks next week

After TEAMtalk recently revealed West Ham players Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta are targets for the Saudi Pro League, we can now confirm a third member of their squad is on the radar of the PIF.

Our report on Wednesday revealed that the Saudi Pro League is planning moves for attacking midfielders Kudus and Paqueta. Regarding the former, there has been contact with the player’s entourage to present a contract worth €13m per season, even though he would be happy to stay at West Ham this season, having only just joined last year.

As for the latter, after the first approach at the beginning of July, Al-Nassr had a new meeting and gaps on project and personal terms remain very large: to date, the chances of a transfer to Saudi Arabia – as things stand – are low.

But while that transfer is getting less likely, one we could be about to hear a lot more about is that the PIF (Public Investment Fund) and Saudi Pro League are interested in signing West Ham defender, Nayef Aguerd.

As told, the Public Investment Fund wants to strengthen their clubs (Al-Ahli, Al Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr) during this transfer window with great players from Europe and the Moroccan centre-back has been included on the defenders’ target list, in which – among others – there is always Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.

West Ham open to offers of certain value for Aguerd

Returning to Aguerd, West Ham are open to evaluating possible offers in the region of around £30m – about the same price they originally paid for him – even if at the moment there have been no concrete approaches from the Saudi negotiator.

On the contrary, information was requested from the player’s entourage regarding the costs and conditions of a possible transfer in the summer. The feelings – after these initial approaches – are positive and a new round of contacts is expected as early as next week to continue the negotiations.

Aguerd has played for West Ham since 2022, when he joined the club from Ligue 1 side Rennes. He has made 58 appearances in that time, including one as a starter in the 2023 Europa Conference League final, which his side won against Fiorentina.

West Ham still have Aguerd under contract until 2027, but they have just signed another left-footed centre-back in the shape of former Wolves captain Max Kilman.

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