West Ham’s Unwanted Newcastle Transfer Attention

West Ham’s interest in Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey has taken an interesting twist following an article in The Athletic.

The piece, written by journalist David Ornstein, confirmed what most already knew—Ramsey is a top Hammers target. No surprises there.

However, the detail that stood out was Ornstein’s claim that not only is West Ham boss Graham Potter a big admirer of Ramsey, but the feeling is mutual.

Unfortunately for West Ham, that’s where the good news ended. The same article also suggested that Ramsey’s preference is to move to Newcastle United. Furthermore, the article expressed the 24 year old’s admiration for Toon boss Eddie Howe suggesting he is possibly even more enamoured with him than Potter.

Aside from signing Antony Elanga and taking Aaron Ramsdale on loan, the Magpies have been relatively quiet in the transfer market—presumably focusing their efforts on keeping star striker Alexander Isak. So far, they haven’t made a major push for Ramsey.

As things stand, this deal looks far from straightforward. While West Ham have certainly made contact with Villa, the Midlands club are believed to be offering Ramsey a new contract. The Hammers do have one possible advantage, with Will Salthouse—Ramsey’s agent—known to have strong links to the club and the Sullivan’s. That said, we’ve yet to see any clear benefit from that relationship with this deal.

If Newcastle and Eddie Howe decide to properly enter the race, matters could become even more complicated. One thing’s certain—neither the Ramsey nor the Mateus Fernandes deals will be easy to pull off.