Sebastien Haller in talks over permanent West Ham exit
By Tom Gott
West Ham United striker Sebastien Haller could leave the club permanently this month, with Ajax keen to sign the 26-year-old.
Haller joined West Ham for a club-record £45m in 2019, but after an initial hot start, has found it hard to adapt to life in the Premier League. He has managed just 14 goals in 53 appearances for the Hammers, with just three of those coming in league action this year.
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His time in England could be coming to an end as multiple sources have suggested that Haller is in talks with Ajax over a permanent transfer this January, but the progress of those negotiations is up in the air.
Most of the momentum of this story comes from L'Equipe, who state that they are expecting confirmation of a deal which could be worth close to £20m in the near future.
That has also been backed up by AD, who add that Haller is desperate to reunite with Ajax boss Erik ten Hag in January. The Dutch side are in talks with West Ham, and negotiations are primarily focused on how Ajax would structure the payments.
It was under Ten Hag that Haller first rose to prominence with Utrecht. Between 2015 and 2017, Haller bagged 51 goals in 98 appearances for the Dutch side, earning him a big move to Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.
A reunion does appear to be on the cards, but Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol has poured a bit of cold water on the rumour. While Ajax's bid is acknowledged, it is suggested that West Ham may actually choose to keep Haller until the summer.
It could all come down to West Ham's ability to find a replacement. 90min understands that David Moyes' side are leading the charge for Stade Reims striker Boulaye Dia, who could be sold in January after the collapse of Ligue 1's lucrative TV deal left most teams struggling for money.
24-year-old Dia has ten goals in 16 appearances for his relegation-threatened side - a tally matched by Lyon's Memphis Depay and bettered only by the 12 goals of Paris Saint-Germain sensation Kylian Mbappe.
The Hammers will likely hesitate to pull the trigger on Haller's departure until they have a replacement lined up, with utility man Michail Antonio the only other player capable of playing as a striker in Moyes' squad.