By Kris Gonzo | Senior West Ham Columnist (Follow on X)
It seems the wheels of transfer activity can, in fact, turn quickly when it comes to selling players because West Ham have agreed a deal for Aaron Wan-Bissaka to move to Aston Villa.
Earlier today, as reported by Martin on Claret & Hugh, the Midlanders had a straight loan deal for the right-back rejected by the Hammers.
However, there has now been a significant development, with Fabrizio Romano giving the transfer his famous ‘here we go’.
Romano reports that Aston Villa have agreed a loan deal containing a mandatory buy clause, with Wan-Bissaka giving the green light to the move and a medical now set to follow.
That mandatory purchase changes the complexion of the deal considerably and explains why West Ham were prepared to reject Villa’s earlier straight-loan proposal.
Wan-Bissaka heading back to Premier League
Having spent the best part of two months trying to find a buyer for the former Manchester United and Crystal Palace full-back, it appears the Hammers have finally found a solution which will see AWB return to the Premier League.
Wan-Bissaka has fallen out of favour with Nuno Espírito Santo and, from the player’s point of view, has probably fallen out of love with the club.
It’s a massive shame given the potential he displayed by winning Hammer of the Year during his first season.
We don’t yet know the value of Villa’s mandatory purchase clause, but having demanded £25 million for Wan-Bissaka earlier today, it will be interesting to see how close West Ham have managed to get to that valuation.
The timing is certainly interesting because, as I wrote earlier today, West Ham are already scrambling for defensive reinforcements after missing out on Axel Disasi.
Removing another experienced defender from Nuno’s squad only adds to the work Nils Koppen needs to get done.
Wan Bissaka is set to join Aston Villa
West Ham squad getting thinner
And Wan-Bissaka certainly isn’t the only one heading towards the exit door.
Niclas Füllkrug is heading back to Werder Bremen, while Edson Álvarez is also closing in on a departure.
Then there is El Hadji Malick Diouf.
Reports today suggest West Ham and Brentford are moving closer to a deal worth around £40 million for the Senegalese defender.
That’s an awful lot of players potentially disappearing from a squad which already looked painfully thin during the 2-2 draw at Burnley.
Perhaps it’s now time for Koppen to be equally effective when it comes to buying players.
West Ham have demonstrated once again that they can get players out of the door.
Now we desperately need to see a few more coming through it.