SK Slavia President Jaroslav Tvrdik has rejected claims made that Abdallah Sima would cost West Ham a potential £35 million in the summer transfer window. The report came from club ‘insiders’ Claret and Hugh, who suggested that the fee would be required for a transfer for the player.
Tvrdik saw the reported fee on Twitter and was quick to deny it, saying, “I’m sorry, but this report is not true.” However, this message could be taken in two ways. One way is that the transfer fee could actually be lower than the £35 million, which could make a deal more likely for West Ham.
The other way it could be taken is that the fee for Sima could be higher than the £35 million. The Hammers ownership will be nervous about spending even more than the reported fee after Felipe Anderson and Sebastien Haller’s high-profile failures. The fee could even be higher than the £45 million that was agreed for Haller, making Sima potentially the club’s record signing.
West Ham are in the market for a striker and could be making a few moves in the summer transfer window, and one target is Abdallah Sima.
But what way is the actual figure? Well, Sima is attracting a lot of interest across Europe due to his explosion onto the scene. The 19-year-old has scored 19 goals and provided five assists in only 28 appearances this season, an astonishing record in his first season in his professional career. The best moment will be his strike against Leicester City in the Europa League.
Another factor behind the potential price being higher is SK Slavia Prague’s financial position. West Ham have provided the Czech club with over £20 million in the last year. The Hammers purchases of Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek has been a tremendous financial boost to the club.
SK Slavia Prague have much less running costs as a club than those of the Premier League. The Czech club may not be desperate to sell another one of their most valuable assets. Especially if the offer does not represent the player’s ability, arguably like the transfers for Soucek and Coufal.
Of course, if the required fee is less than the reported £35 million, it is great news all round. If West Ham want him, they are likely to pay a lesser fee and provide Slavia Prague with even more money. However, the Hammers could have competition from Arsenal for the striker’s signature. IF the clubs get into a bidding war, Slavia Prague’s valuation may become irrelevant.