West Ham near Carlos Borges deal; Elye Wahi of interest as Al Ettifaq eye Michail Antonio
- The Hammers closing on signing of Borges from Manchester City
- Elye Wahi also a target as West Ham look to strengthen up front
- Michail Antonio attracting interest from Al Ettifaq and would be allowed to leave if a suitable offer comes in
West Ham United's summer transfer window could finally kick into gear with the £14m signing of Manchester City youngster Carlos Borges, sources have confirmed to 90min.
The 19-year-old has attracted interest from a number of clubs after scoring goals at a prolific rate for City's Under-21 side - his 21 strikes helped them win the Premier League 2 title - and is in advanced talks over a move to London Stadium.
The deal is expected to contain a buy-back clause for City, who regularly ensure they have the opportunity to re-sign some of their best academy talent, but would represent a significant piece of business for West Ham boss David Moyes.
The Scot desperately needs to add more depth to West Ham's squad, with a place in the Europa League sealed after last season's sensational win over Fiorentina in the Conference League final, and Borges would be expected to challenge Said Benrahma for a first team place.
Declan Rice has departed for Arsenal, in a British record move that could eventually be worth £105m to West Ham, and there's an appetite from West Ham to reinvest the initial chunk of money received for him into at least one central midfield recruit.
Joao Palhinha, Edson Alvarez, Youssouf Fofana, Scott McTominay and Kalvin Phillips are among a handful of players interesting Moyes and new technical director Tim Steidten, who was appointed at the start of July to oversee recruitment this summer.
90min understands that West Ham are also eyeing a move for in-demand Montpellier striker Elye Wahi, as they anticipate a bid coming in for Michail Antonio from Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq, who are managed by Steven Gerrard.
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The 33-year-old has spent the last eight seasons with West Ham, scoring a club-record 61 Premier League goals, but is entering the final year of his contract and would be available for transfer should the club receive a suitable offer.
Wahi is a prolific young striker who has enjoyed two breakout years at Montpellier. He scored 19 Ligue 1 goals last season as the club comfortably saw off the threat of relegation, and has held talks with Chelsea over a potential move this summer.
However, the Blues are likely to loan Wahi to Strasbourg, the newest member of the BlueCo ownership group, if a deal were to go through, and 90min understands that's a switch the player isn't necessarily keen to make. Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund have also watched the 20-year-old while Eintracht Frankfurt see him as the perfect replacement for Randak Kolo Muani, who has been linked with a host of big clubs.
Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Wolves have also shown interest, while Lazio and Union Berlin are admirers in Italy and Germany respectively.
West Ham have also held talks with Wolves over a deal for veteran full-back Aaron Cresswell. The 33-year-old has been in the capital since 2014, but wasn't a guaranteed starter for Moyes last season and could find his game time marginalised further should the club persist with the 3-5-2 formation they have operated with in the early stages of pre-season.
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