Fabrizio Romano says West Ham's £20m transfer depends on key condition

West Ham United are still said to be working on a deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Carlos Soler, but a deal does not look to be overly close. The Hammers have had a busy summer as they try to deliver the squad Julen Lopetegui wants ahead of the August 30 transfer deadline.

Luis Guilherme, Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have been the big-money deals, while the Hammers have also committed a solid wage for Guido Rodriguez, who joined on a free deal from Real Betis. Exits have not been as frequent, with West Ham only pocketing cash from Saido Benrahma, Thilo Kehrer, Nathan Trott and Flynn Downes.

On the back of an opening weekend defeat to Aston Villa, the Hammers are still looking to add to their already strong-looking squad before the window slams shut, and PSG midfielder Soler looks to be the main target. PSG are said to want around £20million for the former Valencia star who represented Spain at the last World Cup, in 2022.

But while the Hammers are said to be ‘pushing’ to land a deal, key factors are holding back a deal, including the need for the club to offload players. That’s according to transfer ‘insider’ Fabrizio Romano, who tweeted: “Carlos Soler’s priority is West Ham as director Tim Steidten and manager Lopetegui are pushing a lot.

“Negotiations already ongoing with PSG in order to get the deal done, but #WHUFC also need to complete outgoings. Despite other clubs keen, West Ham are leading the race.”

The Premier League have shown they will not be forgiving over breaches of Profit and Sustainability rules, and while West Ham entered this summer in a strong position financially, their spending and lack of outgoings means they will have to create some space financially to ensure compliance with those rules and to avoid tying themselves in knots ahead of the January transfer window, which can prove vital in a team’s season, especially if injuries occur between now and the winter.