Chelsea's Fikayo Tomori set for £25m Milan switch, West Ham eye Duvan Zapata - Transfer notebook
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Updated 11/05/2021 at 16:26 GMT
Potential comings and goings between the Premier League and Serie A as West Ham eye up Atalanta's Duvan Zapata to bolster their forward line, while Chelsea loanee Fikayo Tomori could be about to make his switch to Milan permanent. All that and more in the latest edition of Dean Jones' Transfer Notebook.
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West Ham United will have £35 million to spend on a new forward in the summer and Atalanta’s Duvan Zapata is the latest player to make their shortlist.
The Hammers need a new option to compete and rotate with Michail Antonio as the team’s focal point, and top option Tammy Abraham might yet prove to be out of reach.
Chelsea are looking for £40m for the player, which is slightly too high - especially as wages need to be factored into any potential deal and Abraham would ideally be looking for £140,000-a-week.
West Ham could yet look into an initial loan to make the deal more likely but in the meantime enquiries have been made to check on the status of Atalanta’s Zapata.
The 30-year-old Colombia international has scored 18 times this season in a team that has gained a reputation for being one of the most entertaining in Europe.
At this stage they are not looking to fast track their initial interest but have him on a priority list along with Sparta Prague’s Adam Hlozek and Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
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Duvan Zapata is a West Ham target
Image credit: Getty Images
Boss David Moyes would love to get transfer business done quickly but also has his own future to sort out. Discussions have begun over the terms of an extension but are not yet near to an agreement.
Wages are likely to be an ongoing issue for West Ham across the board in their planning for next season - particularly in terms of targets from Manchester United.
Jesse Lingard is likely to join permanently in a £25m deal on around £100,000-a-week but the Hammers are also checking out Nemanja Matic and Phil Jones—though early indications suggest both players will want over £120,000-a-week.
Parker Fulham future in doubt following relegation
Scott Parker’s future as Fulham manager is in doubt after the club’s relegation was confirmed on Monday night.
A 2-0 defeat to Burnley condemns them to the Championship and Parker’s role as first team manager will now come into focus.
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Scott Parker could be on his way out of Craven Cottage
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He has loved testing himself in this first job in management yet feels frustrated by the way the club has been run, particularly the computer generated system that defines transfer targets.
It is understood that Director of Football Tony Khan believes Fulham’s recruitment for this season was adequate but that the team have underperformed.
Parker's relationship with Khan is likely to come to a head as they discuss an approach to next season and it is expected Parker will be told he must largely work with a squad he does not feel is particularly suited to the challenges ahead.
Parker has built a good reputation within the game and is even being linked to the vacant job at Tottenham Hotspur.
Sources say that is pretty unlikely, as Daniel Levy thinks it is slightly too soon to hand him the role, but there are figures at The FA who are also admirers and feel he could be a good candidate for the Under-21s head coach post.
Milan look to meet Tomori clause
AC Milan are preparing to trigger Fikayo Tomori’s £25m purchase clause to sign him permanently from Chelsea because they feel it is a bargain.
The level of his performances this season have been so high that data analysts have spent recent weeks encouraging senior recruitment staff to go ahead with a full-time deal.
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Fikayo Tomori could be set for a permanent switch to Milan
Image credit: Getty Images
Tomori, 23, has played 14 games since joining on loan in January and the club have been amazed at just how well he has adapted on and off the pitch.
The buy clause that was negotiated as part of his loan deal now looks a steal - and the club have made checks with the player to ensure he is convinced of their situation and that he is willing to commit to his new life in Italy long-term.
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