West Ham United and Hull City have now joined the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion forward Amario Cozier-Duberry.
At this stage, a move to Hull could be more appealing, given that Premier League football is on offer, but signing for West Ham in the Championship may be the next logical step, following the winger’s stellar performances in League One last season.
Cozier-Duberry played a major role in Bolton Wanderers securing a return to the second tier, amassing 23 goal involvements in 41 appearances in all competitions, with two of those coming in the play-offs.
The 21-year-old also caught Mikel Arteta’s eye during his time at the Emirates Stadium, according to former Arsenal U18 head coach Jack Wilshere, who said: “Amario is very exciting and Mikel [Arteta] likes him. He reminds me of Bukayo Saka, plays in the same position as him, needs to get better with his decision-making like Bukayo did, but he’s definitely exciting.
“In some moments he’s unplayable. You give him the ball and he can make things happen. You can set up a team and have a game plan, but when you’ve got individuals like that you’ve got a chance.”
The right-winger didn’t make the grade at Arsenal, being sold to Brighton, before being loaned out to Blackburn Rovers for the 2024-25 season, in which he racked up just 713 minutes of game time in the Championship.
However, the youngster’s performances for Bolton suggest he is ready for another chance in the second tier.
West Ham and Hull keen on signing Amario Cozier-Duberry
According to journalist Simon Collings, West Ham and Hull are now interested in signing Cozier-Duberry, but Brighton are eager to keep hold of him.
The Premier League side have already knocked back a £5m bid from Anderlecht, but they are now facing growing interest, with Paris FC and Red Bull Salzburg also keen.
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Should West Ham or Hull sign Amario Cozier-Duberry? |
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West Ham United |
After being relegated from the Premier League last season, West Ham will be eyeing an instant return. As such, signing the Brighton starlet could be a gamble, considering he scored just one goal in 22 games for Blackburn during his last stint in the second tier. Moreover, the starlet is primarily a right-winger, which is where Jarrod Bowen plays, and the 29-year-old is now set to stay. |
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Hull City |
Signing Cozier-Duberry may be an even bigger gamble for Hull, ahead of a Premier League campaign, as the ex-Arsenal man is yet to make an appearance in the top tier. Sergej Jakirovic could do with bringing in players tried and tested in the Premier League, and a move to the London Stadium may make more sense, as Nuno should be able to build a promotion-winning squad regardless, having sold Mateus Fernandes for a huge fee. |
Fernandes joined Tottenham Hotspur for £80m, and Crysencio Summerville could be set to follow him out the exit door.
Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Al-Hilal have been given the green light to sign the Dutchman.
