West Ham United are exploring a possible swoop to sign Werder Bremen attacking midfielder Romano Schmid this summer, according to Florian Plettenberg.
The Hammers have been linked with several midfield options this summer, with Football Talk reporting the club’s interest in Barcelona’s Marc Casado, Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney, and Monaco’s Soungoutou Magassa — the latter having already agreed a deal to join the Hammers this summer.
It appears West Ham are not done with midfield additions yet, as Plettenberg claims that the East London outfit are ‘exploring’ a deal for the transfer of Schmid to the London Stadium before the close of the transfer window.
The German transfer expert adds that the Hammers are currently in talks with Bremen discussing the possible transfer of the Austrian international to the London Stadium this summer.
However, they face stern competition for the attacking midfielder’s signature, as several clubs, including four-time French champions Lille, are also keen on the 25-year-old, according to the report.
Schmid still has two years left on his contract with Bremen, so it won’t come as a surprise if the Bundesliga outfit demand a fee above his £14m Transfermarkt valuation.
Schmid to West Ham
The 25-year-old Austrian midfielder has steadily established a strong reputation as an impressive creator among supporters of the German top division.
His 2024/2025 campaign turned out to be the most productive goalscoring season of his career since arriving at Die Werderaner from Austrian Bundesliga outfit Wolfsberger AC back in 2019.
During last season, Schmid registered five goals in the Bundesliga, along with five league assists, which was the second-best assist return he has ever produced in Germany’s top tier.
According to FBref, one of the closest statistical comparisons to Schmid is Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, who recently scored at the London Stadium in the heavy 5-1 defeat.
Both footballers operate either in the number 10 role or from deeper areas, and their metrics show considerable similarities.
Schmid stands out among central midfield players in attacking aspects — excelling with progressive passing, ball carries and creating shooting opportunities — but he ranks poorly for pass completion.
There is no doubt Schmid has the qualities to enhance West Ham’s offensive play, though uncertainty persists over his defensive strengths should he be deployed in deeper roles if the move happens.
