West Ham United have often been linked with Yunus Musah. Now, despite the Hammers' relegation to the Championship, it could be the perfect time to land the midfielder.
Musah has fallen out of favor with the USMNT and has not been included in Mauricio Pochettino's roster for the World Cup. He has not played for the Stars and Stripes since a defeat to Canada in the Nations League third-place playoff in March of last year.
The midfielder was considered a hot prospect when he was at Valencia, and he was snapped up by AC Milan. However, his move to the Rossoneri did not work out, and he was sent on loan to Atalanta. Fabrizio Romano has recently reported that "Musah will not be signed by Atalanta on permanent deal, returning to AC Milan from June."
Musah is contracted to Milan until 2028, but with his stock low, he could be affordable for the Hammers. West Ham will have to sell many of their top players to balance their books after being relegated from the Premier League.
Yunus Musah could strengthen West Ham's midfield
Midfielder Mateus Fernandes will likely be sold, with top clubs including Arsenal, Manchester United, and Paris Saint-Germain interested in the player. The Hammers would also need to replace Fernandes, and Musah could be the man to do this.
Musah is only 23, so he still has a lot of potential. He is versatile as he can play central and defensive midfield. Whilst he can also operate on either flank. This season for Atalanta, he played 27 times in all competitions, scoring twice and providing one assist. This included seven appearances in the Champions League.
The USMNT international would not want to drop down to a country's second tier. However, the Championship is still considered better than many top-tier European divisions. West Ham are also expected to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
The move to West Ham would also be fitting for Musah, as he grew up in London. He went to a school in Barking, which is an area where many Hammers fans live. Musah was with Arsenal's academy before moving to Valencia.
Many players from the Championship still get called up by the USMNT. Notably, Haji Wright, with Coventry City, who he has just helped to promotion to the Premier League. Musah could emulate this with West Ham and add to his 47 caps for the Stars and Stripes.
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