West Ham made a bid for Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski in the summer, according to a new report.
The Hammers were linked with a number of central midfielders throughout the summer transfer window and eventually signed both Lucas Paqueta and Flynn Downes.
There were several reports of interest in signing Zielinski from the Serie A club, but it seems the Irons failed to convince them to do business.
Zielinski has been in excellent form thus far this season and has scored three goals in three Champions League games, including a brace in the 4-1 thrashing of Liverpool.
But Italian journalist Ciro Venerato claims that the Irons made an offer for the Poland international that was worth around half of what the Italian side wanted.
Quoted by Sport Witness, he said: “The hottest renewal? Surely that of Piotr Zielinski. Napoli had thought of selling the midfielder, but the English team that wanted him [West Ham] offered only 50% of what [Napoli chairman Aurelio] De Laurentiis wanted.
“Napoli, having taken note of the low offer of the English club, consequently decided not to sell Piotr Zielinski. The choice then fell on Fabián Ruiz, sold to PSG.
“The Polish midfielder must find an agreement on both the duration and the salary. Cristiano Giuntoli, Napoli’s sporting director, will be forced to work overtime in order to reach an agreement that can satisfy all the parties involved.”
Napoli are currently sitting pretty at the top of Serie A, having won seven of their nine games and drawn the other two; they are two points clear of Atalanta.
Low ball offer? What’s the point of that? We either didn’t want him or didn’t make enough effort.