Everton have been installed as hot favourites to snap up Vladimir Coufal on a free transfer this summer.
The Czech right-back is out of contract at the end of the season and would be happy to remain at West Ham—if the club offered improved wages and more first-team football. Unfortunately for Coufal, neither is currently on the table.
The Hammers are instead focused on bringing in Southampton free agent Kyle Walker-Peters as a replacement. The versatile defender, who can operate on either flank, is understood to have agreed in principle to join West Ham although nothing is signed and there are other interested clubs.
Any new deal for Coufal would likely scupper the Walker-Peters move, and with the Saints full-back boasting two England caps and greater positional flexibility, the club appear to be prioritising KWP.
Coufal came close to joining Fulham on deadline day in January and would prefer to remain in London—but there is no guarantee the Cottagers will return with another offer.
Fortunately for the Hammers cult hero, his former gaffer David Moyes is keen on a reunion. With Seamus Coleman, Ashley Young and Michael Keane all in the final year of their contracts at Everton, Coufal could provide a cheap and reliable solution at right-back.
While a move to Merseyside and the Toffee’s new stadium would mean giving up his London lifestyle, Coufal would almost certainly receive the pay rise and regular minutes he craves—and certainly deserves.