West Ham's search for wing depth has taken a fresh turn, with Leeds United winger Largie Ramazani emerging as a genuine option as talks over Viking's Edvin Austbø grind to a halt. The Ramazani link was first reported by ExWHUEmployee, with other outlets since adding detail on the shape of a potential deal.
Ramazani ticks a lot of boxes for what Nuno Espírito Santo and Nils Koppen have been trying to add before the window shuts. While he is versatile, he is a left winger by trade who can also operate on the right or through the middle as a false nine. That versatility is important for a squad that's been thin on attacking cover since Crysencio Summerville's exit. He's also shown he can produce end product outside the Premier League bubble: a productive loan at Valencia last season yielded six goals and two assists in 31 appearances, and he already has Championship pedigree, having been a key part of Leeds' title-winning promotion campaign in 2024-25. At 25, he's the kind of ready-made, proven-in-this-division profile that can contribute immediately rather than needing time to adapt — useful for a club trying to bounce straight back up.
There's also a financial logic to it. Leeds have made clear they want him gone on a permanent basis rather than another loan, and with his contract running only until 2028, West Ham are negotiating from a position where Leeds have real incentive to do business rather than let his value keep drifting.
West Ham won't have this one to themselves. Ramazani has interest from Burnley and an unnamed Italian club, and there remains a possibility he ends up back in Spain with Valencia who have circled him for most of the summer after his form on loan there. Reports out of Spain suggest he'd be open to that return if the financial obstacles that killed a deal earlier this window can be resolved. Norwich City were also credited with interest earlier in the summer, though that link has gone quiet as the Canaries' priorities have shifted elsewhere. Leeds' preference remains a permanent sale, which could work in West Ham's favor if their rivals are only able to offer loan structures.
The timing of this link isn't a coincidence. West Ham have been chasing Austbø at Viking for weeks, but the Norwegian club have deliberately slowed talks because they've wanted the player available for Champions League qualifying. Austbø was in the starting eleven and scored in the 48th minute, clinching a win in the second leg of qualifying, defeating Dinamo Zagreb. With Viking unwilling to properly engage until their European fixtures are settled, West Ham and Koppen appear to be using the delay to explore alternatives rather than simply wait around, and Ramazani's availability at Leeds makes him a logical name to have ready.
This also means a departure from West Ham’s interest in Arsenal forward Reiss Nelson, with the club said to have agreed to terms with their London rivals, but waiting on a green light to finish the deal. Now with Ramazani entering the mix, Nelson becomes a backup plan should they fail to secure the Leeds forward or Austbø.
Josh Ajala's midweek brace against Southampton was a timely reminder of the academy's depth, but it hasn't changed the club’s pursuit of increased depth. Koppen and Nuno are still working to add proven senior competition out wide before the deadline. Manor Solomon's arrival from Tottenham earlier in the window addressed part of that need, but his injury history means the club can't rely on him as a season-long, ever-present. This is exactly why a further body in the wide areas, whether that ends up being Ramazani, Austbø, or both, remains a live priority in these closing days of the window.
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