Ben Jacobs: West Ham Show ‘Genuine’ Interest in 26-Year-Old UCL Star, Club Seeking £40m

West Ham have been busy this summer, signing Max Kilman, Luis Guilherme, and Wes Foderingham. Kilman is expected to add much-needed solidity to the defense, but the club remains interested in acquiring another central defender, Fikayo Tomori.

ExWHUEmployee first reported the story on his Patreon, and journalist Ben Jacobs has confirmed the Hammers’ genuine interest in the player. West Ham have long admired the England international, initially attempting to sign him on loan from Chelsea in the summer of 2020.

Since moving to AC Milan three years ago, Tomori has made significant strides in his career. He won the Serie A title with Milan in the 2021-22 season and has helped the team qualify for the Champions League every year since. Despite his success, Tomori could be available for the right price this summer.

Milan are seeking over £40 million for the Chelsea graduate, but West Ham should be optimistic about negotiating a lower fee. The main challenge will be convincing the 26-year-old to join them, especially since the club won’t be competing in Europe next season after finishing 9th in the Premier League.

At one point, West Ham seemed poised to finish in the top 6, but their poor defensive record in the latter part of the campaign proved costly. A center-back pairing of Kilman and Tomori could significantly enhance the Hammers’ chances of returning to European football under manager Julen Lopetegui next year.

Tomori is a strong ball-playing center-back, boasting a 91% passing accuracy in Serie A last season. He won 56% of his duels, made 4 recoveries, 2.5 clearances, and 1.6 tackles per game, and kept 7 clean sheets in 24 starts. His addition would undoubtedly help improve West Ham’s defensive record.