West Ham have 'concrete interest' in midfielder with 9 goal contributions last season
West Ham are keen to strengthen after a lacklustre start to the new league season
West Ham are reportedly plotting a late summer move for Bayer Leverkusen’s Aleix García as they look to add some much needed quality to their squad.
The Hammers have endured a dreadful start to the new season which has seen them fall to heavy defeats against both Sunderland and Chelsea in the league whilst also being eliminated from the League Cup at the second round stage against Wolves at Molinuex.
Pressure is mounting on Graham Potter to turn the tide at the London Stadium and the final few days of the window could well play a big role in deciding his future in the capital.
West Ham express interest in Aleix García
German sports outlet Kicker claims West Ham are eyeing up a move for Spanish midfielder Aleix García. The five-time international started his career at Villarreal and made his league debut for the Yellow Submarine in 2015 when he was just 15-years-old. This prompted Manchester City to sign the midfielder that same year but he only ever made five league appearances for the Etihad club and spent the majority of the next five years learning his trade during various loan moves to Spanish side Girona and a season with Belgian outfit Royal Excel Mouscron.
García had a brief seven game stint at Romanian side Dinamo București but after only featuring sporadically he decided to join Eibar in La Liga in January 2021. The move was again short-lived, lasting just six months, before the footballer eventually kicked on with a move to Girona, who at the time were playing in the second-tier of Spanish football.
The midfielder spent three seasons back in Girona as the team climbed from the second-tier to one that briefly flirted with the La Liga title in 2023/24. He joined Bayer Leverkusen for 18 million euros after their title triumph. “Aleix is a player with excellent strategical abilities, he very assured in his passing game and has great vision from his position in holding midfield,” said Bayer managing director for sport Simon Rolfes at the time.
“Aleix has leadership qualities that will be very valuable to us in the coming years. We’re pleased we could sign him. He’s an important factor in the realisation of our ambitious goals.” He made 42 appearances across all competitions last term, scoring five and assisting four, giving him a total goal contribution of nine in his debut campaign in Germany.
What does the future hold for Aleix García
It’s believed West Ham hold a ‘concrete interest’ in the midfielder and these claims are backed up by Sky Germany, who also believe a deal could take place in the coming days.
The two clubs are thought to have verbally exchanged details and Bayer Leverkusen have set a 20 million euro (£17.2m) asking price. The report adds that West Ham haven’t submitted an official bid. While it’s also not yet clar if the 28-year-old is willing to return to English football for the first time in five years. García signed a five-year contract with Bayer Leverkusen in June 2024, which expires on June 30, 2029.