West Ham handed potential transfer boost as 'progressive' target gets new agent

West Ham will have to negotiate with a new agent should they press on with their reported bid to land a midfield target this summer. The Hammers have already been linked with a number of players ahead of the summer as Graham Potter prepares to put his own stamp on his new team.

Potter was not able to do that in January, with only Evan Ferguson signed on loan, but the bulk of the recruitment is set to take place in the summer window, after Potter has had chance to properly assess his squad.

One player the Hammers are said to be interested in is Lille midfielder Angel Gomes, who has gone from strength to strength since leaving Manchester United in 2020, racking up 104 league appearances for the French club and earning four England caps along the way.

This summer, though, Gomes will choose a new club having allowed his contract to run down, and he doesn’t seem to have any plans to renew it. In fact, Gomes has recruited new representatives, according to Fabrizio Romano. He tweeted: “Angel Gomes signed with ROOF as new agency to represent him ahead of summer transfer window. Gomes will leave Lille as free agent and his next move will be decided in the next months.”

Back in January, it was claimed that West Ham had actually offered Gomes a pre-contract, and they are already able to that, but the hiring of new representatives would suggest no deal has been agreed at this stage, with the midfielder likely looking to maximise his earnings. Tottenham have also been linked.

Ian Wright has previously described Gomes as a ‘progressive’ minded player. He said after an England display in September: ‘”Seeing Angel Gomes in that midfield, constantly on the move whether he’s high up, middle, or at the back for us in the six. He was doing progressive things, everything he was doing was very progressive. And again, all the time, constantly available in any area, wanting the ball.”

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