As the 2022/23 summer transfer window gets off to a bang, West Ham World takes a look at one particular target that they now look set to miss out on…
It was reported a few weeks ago by several sources that the Hammers were interested in signing 20-year-old full back Aaron Hickey from Italian Serie A side Bologna this summer.
However, reports now say that London rivals Arsenal are close to agreeing a deal for the young defender, which means West Ham look set to miss out on acquiring his services.
A deal for around £20 million would have been enough to tempt Hickey to the London Stadium this month, but the Hammers did not make a move quickly enough.
The Scotland international has excelled in recent seasons at such a young age, bursting onto the scene after arriving in Italy in 2020 from Scottish side Hearts.
He made his national team debut back in March, and has since been capped four times.
The left-back is productive at both ends of the pitch, where he can offer value defensively and in front of goal. His five goals this season is evidence of that.
West Ham desperately need to add to their squad depth this summer, following the departures of several first-team players like Ryan Fredericks, Mark Noble and Andriy Yarmolenko this month.
The left-back position is also one that needs strengthening, with Aaron Cresswell turning 33-years-old next season. Whilst he still offers great value to the team, soon Moyes will have to consider a replacement.
However, West Ham have missed out largely in this deal for Aaron Hickey, and now the Gunners look set to have signed a good, promising full-back ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The Hammers need to start concluding their business in this summer’s transfer window fast because if they don’t they could miss out on more potentially successful signings in the future – just like they have with Hickey.
