West Ham United are plotting a swoop to sign AS Roma’s midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini this summer, according to Sébastien Vidal.
The 29-year-old has been a pivotal figure at the club over the past eight years. He came through the ranks at the Giallorossi’s academy before joining Sassuolo in 2017.
His performances with the Emilia-Romagna outfit caught the attention of several clubs, but Roma eventually won the race to bring him back to the Italian capital.
Since 2017, he has been an indispensable figure at the club and the Italian national team, making over 300 appearances, netting 55 goals, and providing 59 assists.
His experience would be instrumental to any team that’s in a rebuilding process, so it’s no surprise West Ham is now looking to acquire his expertise this summer.
According to Vidal, the Hammers are eyeing a possible swoop for the transfer of Pellegrini to the London Stadium this summer.
In a boost to the East Londoners, the Italy international is willing to move to the Premier League, according to the journalist, so the club will now hope they can sign him for a bargain fee around his £7m Transfermarkt valuation.
Bargain swoop
Vidal adds that West Ham view his creativity as an essential quality to help the squad, and the club are now ‘pushing’ to finalise the deal to sign him from Roma.
After last season’s underwhelming 14th-place finish, West Ham are intent on reinforcing key areas of their squad.
Some notable key additions, including Jean-Clair Todibo, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Kyle Walker-Peters, and Callum Wilson, have all been draughted in to shore up vital positions, while highly rated Scottish prospect Daniel Cummings arrived on a free transfer from Celtic.
With Mohammed Kudus gone and Lucas Paquetá’s future hanging in the balance, the need for a new creative heartbeat is clear. Pellegrini ticks both boxes as a playmaker and a dressing-room leader, making him a strong candidate to fill that void.
At 29, he could become one of the Hammers’ key figures in their bid for a top ten finish next season at a bargain fee.
