West Ham are interested in signing Juventus left-back Luca Pellegrini, but any deal might come at a severe cost to David Moyes’ long-term plans.
According to a report by Calciomercato Web, The Old Lady have an ongoing interest in Jarrod Bowen and might look to exploit West Ham’s interest in Pellegrini by trying to negotiate a deal that would see the two players switch clubs.
With Pellegrini’s role in the Juventus starting XI not confirmed under Max Allegri, it’s believed the Serie A giants are willing to offload the 23-year-old this summer, with reports in Italy claiming they’re looking to receive a fee of around £12.9m for his services.
It’s well known that Moyes wants to add strength to the left-back position this summer, as Aaron Cresswell turns 33 later this year and Arthur Masuaku failing to impress when called upon on several occasions over the last couple of seasons.
Therefore, it’s no real surprise to see that Moyes is showing an interest in the likes of Pellegrini as a potential long-term option, with his talent and experience clearly providing a good upgrade to what his squad already has in the left-side of defence.
However, if any deal was to be completed, then West Ham must make sure it doesn’t involve Bowen heading to Italy.
Bowen’s importance to West Ham last season was evident, with a return of 17 goals and 13 assists across 50 appearances in all competitions. The 25-year-old is seen as a crucial part of West Ham’s ambitions to become mainstays in the Premier League’s top-seven, as well as their continued participation in Europan competitions.
With that in mind, agreeing to his exit in return for a left-back doesn’t make a great deal of sense at this stage. Pellegrini certainly represents a long-term upgrade at left-back, but the whole Bowen’s absence would leave at the other end of the pitch can be seen as too large to consider this to be a worthwhile trade to make.
