NafisaWest Ham appear poised to secure a Celtic star as their opening signing of the summer after he was spotted attending their final home fixture of the season – and he’ll be thrilled by what he witnessed.
The Hammers have been associated with three prominent Celtic talents ahead of the summer transfer window, which opens in under a fortnight.
Graham Potter has acknowledged there will be substantial changes at West Ham this summer following a disappointing campaign.
And no fewer than three Celtic players have been firmly in Potter’s sights since the club brought in his Scottish scouting expert Kyle Macaulay in January.
Macaulay, who rejoined Potter after West Ham paid Chelsea £1.2m to acquire his expertise, came to the London Stadium with a host of Celtic names on his shortlist for summer recruitment.
Three Celtic talents firmly in West Ham’s sights
Last week, West Ham revealed in a transfer update that strengthening the midfield and attack are top priorities this summer.
Among the targets is Celtic’s adaptable young Belgian prospect Arne Engels.
Potter’s assistant – and fellow Glaswegian – Billy Reid has openly expressed his admiration for Engels, who can feature in midfield, on the flanks or in defence.
Celtic forward Daizen Maeda is also strongly linked with a switch to West Ham.
Valued at £25 million, the Japanese attacker is said to have caught the eye of Potter and Macaulay thanks to his versatility, speed, and goal-scoring instinct.
At 27, Maeda is reportedly eager for a shot at the Premier League, and Celtic could opt to sell after a standout season where he netted 33 times and contributed 10 assists across 49 appearances.
Reports last week indicated West Ham are preparing an offer for Maeda as part of Potter’s revamp.
Rising Celtic star and Scotland international Daniel Cummings is another who has been on the Hammers’ radar since January.
The Bhoys’ emerging 19-year-old striker Cummings looked set to join the Irons during the winter window.
West Ham engaged in discussions to land Cummings on a pre-contract as a free transfer and also considered paying £500k in January to bypass a tribunal.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was furious at the thought of losing Cummings to West Ham.
Rodgers expressed his anger toward Cummings’ agent over the discussions with West Ham.
The Celtic manager urged Cummings to remain patient and commit to the club.
Rodgers even granted him a debut in the Champions League clash with Aston Villa in a bid to prove his long-term prospects at Celtic.
Celtic player spotted at West Ham with transfer now nearing completion:
Now a Celtic player has been seen at West Ham, with a deal appearing close – and one thing will surely please him.
The Hammers hosted Nottingham Forest in their final home outing of the campaign at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Forest needed a victory to keep their Champions League dreams alive.
West Ham entered the contest buoyed by a 2-0 triumph over Manchester United.
However, it was Forest who triumphed 2-1, scoring in both halves and holding on despite a stunning late goal from Hammers skipper Jarrod Bowen.
West Ham lacked cutting edge up front – a recurring issue since Potter took over.
Cummings spotted at London Stadium – what will have pleased him:
Among the spectators was a Celtic player hoping to help address that, as sharp-eyed fans noticed Cummings in attendance.
A West Ham season ticket holder captured a photo of Cummings watching the game alongside his parents.
While Maeda and Engels were involved in Celtic’s 1-1 draw with St Mirren on Saturday, Cummings was absent.
That heavily implies a deal for Cummings is close to completion.
It emerged back in February that West Ham were enticing Cummings with the offer of a senior squad role under Potter.
West Ham have confirmed the departure of Danny Ings, while loan disappointment Evan Ferguson will return to Brighton.
There are uncertainties regarding Niclas Fullkrug’s status after Potter informed the veteran German he would not be first choice.
And the Hammers are yet to decide whether to extend 35-year-old Michail Antonio’s deal as the striker continues to recover from a devastating car accident in December that left him with a broken leg in four places.
West Ham were largely lacklustre in their loss to Forest aside from a late surge.
Cummings, however, will have been encouraged by what he observed.
Because the Scottish goal machine will back himself to stake a claim for a first team berth based on that display.
It was evident West Ham are missing a forward of his profile within the squad.
Nafisa
