West Ham United’s pursuit of young defender Zeno Debast has become even more challenging with the reported entry of Napoli into the race
The Anderlecht fullback’s impressive performances have garnered significant interest from several European clubs. West Ham, Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sporting Lisbon, and now Napoli are all keen on acquiring Debast.
According to AreaNapoli, Napoli has a potential advantage due to Debast’s representative, Sebastien Ledure, who also happens to be Romelu Lukaku’s lawyer. Napoli has recently been in talks with Lukaku, creating an open channel for discussions regarding Debast.
While Anderlecht desires a €20 million fee for Debast, his contract expiring in 2025 weakens their negotiating position. This could lead to a settlement around €16 million.
Previous reports suggested West Ham were actively pursuing Debast and intensifying contact. However, there seems to be no recent progress on their end.
With other clubs like Sporting Lisbon also reportedly in advanced talks, West Ham faces a growing pool of competitors if they wish to secure Debast’s signing. The upcoming weeks could see a definitive push from these interested clubs.
Overall, West Ham’s initial advantage might be waning as other clubs with potentially stronger financial muscle and existing connections enter the fray. The coming days will be crucial in determining the future destination of the highly sought-after defender.