West Ham plot hijack to sign £21m Rangers star as 49ers name new sale condition

Fresh from Premier League relegation, it’s been an impressive summer from West Ham United. A lot of sides have downgraded on the back of dropping down to the Championship in the past, but the Hammers have done the opposite.

Nuno Espirito Santo arguably has a better squad at his disposal for the Championship than he did in the Premier League. West Ham have signed as many as five fresh faces, all of whom are likely to gain a starting place as the London club set their sights on an instant return to the top flight.

But they’re not done quite yet. Having already dipped into the Scottish market to sign Arne Engels from Celtic in a deal worth as much as £22m, West Ham now have their sights set on Emmanuel Fernandez.

The Rangers defender impressed last season, despite initially enduring a difficult start. Now an important player at Ibrox, he’s back on the radar of potential buyers.

It’s an open secret that West Ham are after a centre-back, too. Their interest in Fernandez comes as a direct response to Axel Disasi’s decision to opt out of a move to the London Stadium, whilst their 2-2 draw at Burnley exposed the problems that they’ve still got at the back.

This wouldn’t be Fernandez’s first taste of English football, either. He only left Peterborough for Rangers last summer, but could already be on his way back to England.

West Ham plotting hijack to sign Emmanuel Fernandez

REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

The Rangers defender is very much one to watch. Football FanCast understands that Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen are in talks to sign Fernandez, but West Ham are set to launch a move of their own.

Leverkusen are currently the most advanced, but those at the London Stadium are confident they can convince the player to remain in Britain and Rangers are yet to accept an offer from the German outfit.

Instead, the 49ers have set new sale conditions – demanding as much as €25m (£21m) to sell Fernandez. As Rangers’ Old Firm rivals know all too well, that price-tag is well within West Ham’s range.

The numbers certainly make for good reading. Whilst missing out on Disasi may seem like a blow, all will be forgotten if Fernandez arrives at West Ham instead.

The Hammers have just over a week to make a deal happen and complete a hijack on Bayer Leverkusen. They know Rangers’ asking price and should have the money to pursue such a deal.

For the Gers, it would be a major blow at this stage of the window. They’ve already struggled at the start of Derek McInnes’ reign and the last thing they need is to lose a key player.